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Live Coverage of George Floyd's Brother's Prayer Vigil; Interview with Martin Luther King III; Trump Requests Governors Respond to Protests with Increased Force. Aired 2-2:30p ET
Aired June 01, 2020 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
KEVIN MCCALL, REVEREND: -- on the right. Peace on the left, justice on the right. Peace on the left, justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- on the right. Peace on the left, justice on the right. Peace on the left, justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- on the right. Peace on the left, justice on the right. Peace on the left, justice on the right.
MCCALL: You will now hear from his brother, who traveled with us, who has to endure watching his brother die in the hands of a corrupt police. Let us respect him, as he speaks at this time. Please, let us hear by the sound of a round of applause for our dear brother, the brother of Gregory (ph) Floyd, Terrence Floyd.
(APPLAUSE)
Terrence Floyd is the brother of George Floyd. Let us hear from him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right, man, we here for you.
TERRENCE FLOYD, GEORGE FLOYD'S BROTHER: First of all --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take your time, baby.
FLOYD: -- first of all --
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- economic justice. (INAUDIBLE) locked up for looking (ph) like that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, hold on. Hold on.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are listening to George Floyd's brother.
FLOYD: Yo, hello.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Listen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello, hello.
FLOYD: I understand you all are upset. But like it was already said, I doubt you all (INAUDIBLE) half as upset as I am.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come up, now. Can't hear.
FLOYD: So if I'm not going to be here (INAUDIBLE) out, if I'm not over here, booming up stuff --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come on.
FLOYD: If I'm not over here, messing up my community --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on.
FLOYD: -- then what are you all doing? What are you all doing? You all are doing nothing, because that's not going to bring my brother back at all.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not us. Yes, Donald Trump's buddies.
FLOYD: It may feel good for the moment, just like when you drink. But when it come down, you're going to wonder what you did.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Listen.
FLOYD: My family is a peaceful family. My family is God-fearing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amen.
FLOYD: Yes, we upset. But we not gonna take it, we not gonna be repetitious. In every case of police brutality, the same thing has been happening. You all protest, you all destroy stuff --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not us.
FLOYD: -- and if they don't move, you know why they don't move? Because it's not their stuff, it's our stuff. So they want us to destroy our stuff. They're not going to move.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Listen.
FLOYD: So let's do this another way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right, come on now, brother.
FLOYD: Let's do this another way.
(APPLAUSE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's fix the city (ph). They're going to try and take it, let's fix the city.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There (ph) are people in the office (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're going to try to come build. Let's fix this city.
FLOYD: You all right. Let's do this another way. Let's stop thinking that our voice don't matter, and vote. Not just vote for the president, vote for the preliminaries, vote for everybody.
(APPLAUSE)
Educate yourself. Educate yourself. Don't wait for somebody else to tell you who's who.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
FLOYD: Educate yourself and know who you're voting for. And that's how we gonna hit (ph) them (ph). Because it's a lot of us. It's a lot of us. It's a lot of us.
(APPLAUSE)
And we still going to do this peacefully. Because that's when we're gonna get them because we're going to fool them --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
FLOYD: They think we're going to do this, but then we gonna do something and we gonna switch it on them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Change it up.
FLOYD: Let's switch it up, y'all. Let's switch it up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Amen.
FLOYD: Do this peacefully, please.
My brother moved here from Houston. And I used to talk to him on the phone. He loved it here. He started driving a truck, he was good. So I don't -- I highly doubt -- no, I don't -- no, I know he would not want you all to be doing this. And I'm not saying the people here. Whoever's doing it. Relax.
[14:05:15]
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Take your time, take your time.
FLOYD: Now, like Reverend McCall said, peace on the left -- you all forgot already?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice on the right.
FLOYD: Peace on the left --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice on the right.
FLOYD: Peace on the left --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice on the right.
FLOYD: Peace on the left --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice on the right.
FLOYD: Peace on the left --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice on the right.
FLOYD: Which side is that, which side is that? Peace on the left.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice on the right.
FLOYD: Justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Peace on the left.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Peace on the left.
FLOYD: Right, that's what I'm saying. That's what I want to see.
Peace on the left --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice on the right.
FLOYD: Peace on the left --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice on the right.
FLOYD: Peace on the left --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice on the right. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice on the right.
FLOYD: Peace on the left --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice on the right.
FLOYD: That's what I'm talking about.
(APPLAUSE)
On behalf of the Floyd family, thank you. Thank you for the love, thank you for the flowers, thank you for the memorials. Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
Now, before I go, I just want to hear this again. What's his name?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: George Floyd.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: George Floyd.
FLOYD: What's his name?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: George Floyd.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: George Floyd.
FLOYD: What's his name?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: George Floyd.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: George Floyd.
FLOYD: What's his name?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: George Floyd.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: George Floyd.
FLOYD: George.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Floyd.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Floyd.
FLOYD: George.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Floyd.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Floyd.
FLOYD: George.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Floyd. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Floyd.
FLOYD: George.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Floyd.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Floyd.
FLOYD: I thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One down?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three to go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three to go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One down?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three to go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three to go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One down?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three to go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three to go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One down?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three to go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three to go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One down?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three to go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three to go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One down?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three to go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three to go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One down?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three to go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three to go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One down?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three to go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three to go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One down?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three to go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three to go.
MCCALL: One down?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Minnesota standoff.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Minnesota standoff.
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Minnesota standoff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Standoff.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Standoff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Minnesota (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Standoff.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Standoff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pissed off for George.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Standoff.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Standoff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pissed off for George.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Standoff.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Standoff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pissed off for George.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Standoff.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Standoff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pissed off for George.
Thank you, brother. Thank you. Thank you for (INAUDIBLE). Thank you for blessing us with your presence, with your strength, with your courage, (INAUDIBLE) being so vulnerable, thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
(CROSSTALK) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But I will never forget my man, coming up to the stand and his knees buckle. Coming to his brother's gravesite. To say he want peace is tremendous. It's tremendous, and it takes a lot to say those words out of his own mouth.
So you all give it up for him, you all give it up for George.
(APPLAUSE)
No justice, no peace. Prosecute the police.
No justice, no peace. Prosecute the police.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No justice, no peace. Prosecute the police. No justice, no peace. Prosecute the police.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No justice, no peace. Prosecute the police. No justice, no peace. Prosecute the police.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No justice, no peace. Prosecute the police. No justice, no peace. Prosecute the police.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No justice, no peace. Prosecute the police. No justice, no peace. Prosecute the police.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No justice, no peace. Prosecute the police.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No justice, no peace. Prosecute the police.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold it, hold it, hold it.
FLOYD: One more thing I want from you all in this town, everybody that's showing love to my brother. I know this is about my brother, but I want to say something. I went to school -- I knew Sean Bell, and I knew -- and all these other cases that's going on. You see the protesting, you see everything.
But then, when they -- after a while, they out of the scene, nobody's saying nothing. This is what I've been saying to people on Facebook, Instagram. I've been saying this: Keep my brother's name ringing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go.
FLOYD: Keep my brother's name ringing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
FLOYD: Keep my brother's name ringing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
[14:10:00]
FLOYD: Keep my brother's name ringing. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
FLOYD: Keep my brother's name ringing.
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's his name?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: George Floyd.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: George Floyd.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One, two three --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: George Floyd.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: George Floyd.
FLOYD: Thank you.
MCCALL: When you talk about --
(APPLAUSE)
When you talk about Sean Bell, when you talk about Eric Garner, we have with us the lawyer who has been on the frontlines, across this country, dealing with this. Let us welcome attorney Sanford Rubenstein.
(APPLAUSE)
SANFORD RUBENSTEIN, ATTORNEY: A message to the American public: The only way these families are going to stop grieving because their loved ones have been lost -- the only way we're going to stop the violence --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Louder.
RUBENSTEIN: I don't need this. The only way we're going to stop the violence by police, that creates the suffering in these families when they lose a loved one to death at the hands of the police, is to put them in jail.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's it.
RUBENSTEIN: Not just the police officer who was the primarily responsible one, but all of them who were involved in his death.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lock them up.
RUBENSTEIN: But just as important, is to stop the assaults by police officers against innocent --
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, sir.
RUBENSTEIN: -- which go without punishment. The assaults on innocent people, which go without jail. Only then will we see this terrible scourge of police brutality in this country end. No justice?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No peace.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No peace.
RUBENSTEIN: No justice?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No peace.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No peace.
RUBENSTEIN: No justice?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No peace.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No peace.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Prosecute the police.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're walking to the other memorial. We ask that you make a way for him, for us to be able to walk to the other memorial that's right here. And let us say, peace on the left, justice on the right. Peace on the left, justice on the right. Peace on the left --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Peace on the left --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Peace on the left --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Peace on the left --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Peace on the left --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Peace on the left --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice on the right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice on the right.
(CROSSTALK)
SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You heard from George Floyd -- you have just heard from George Floyd's brother, you have just heard from Terrence Floyd. He talked to the crowd, he was extremely emotional, sincere at the same time.
And he said to the crowd, What are you doing? He was talking to the protestors. What are you doing? We are a peaceful family, we are a prayerful family, and we are a family that wants to see this neighborhood do well. Stop the looting, stop the violence, stop messing up the neighborhood. What we want from you is we want you to keep his name out there. Keep it pinging, keep it ringing, as Terrence Floyd said.
And that's what people here have been doing, I will tell you. That people here have been keeping it peaceful. This neighborhood is considered sacred ground. There is no damage here. And he said, this is what we are. And we don't want to see violence, but we do want to see justice.
So you hear him saying, peace on the left, but justice on the right. And to them, the other three officers, in their mind, should be charged in this case, and he made that very, very clear.
But before doing all that -- you saw this live, Brianna, on your show -- he walked up here and broke down in front of the mural that was made to his brother. And then he went to the spot where the officer, Derek Chauvin, was shown, putting his knee in his neck for more than seven minutes.
And he broke down there, and he got on his knee, and he prayed. And so did the entire crowd. And that's what you've seen right here, a powerful moment for this neighborhood and for the nation. But most of all, for the Floyd family -- Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: And, Sara, it was -- I think it was such an important message to hear directly from the family, where he said, vote. He said educate yourself, that's how we're going to hit them. There's a lot of us.
And his activist -- his friend who's an activist, saying, You cannot come before the victims, meaning the Floyd family. He said the family has called for peace.
So it -- he basically implored people --
SIDNER: He said you can't come before us.
KEILAR: That's right.
SIDNER: We don't want violence. Yes, yes..
KEILAR: And he also said --
SIDNER: He understood it, but didn't condone it.
KEILAR: -- Terrence -- yes. And Terrence Floyd, saying it may feel good for a moment, but you're going to wonder what you did after the fact. He's speaking directly to folks who could be polluting the message, right? Polluting the communication of pain --
[14:10:13]
SIDNER: Absolutely.
KEILAR: -- and frustration.
SIDNER: And not just polluting the message, Brianna -- it's not just polluting the message, it's also breaking down the neighborhood. So where is your mom and your grandma and your dad and your granddad and your uncles and aunts going to go shopping now?
I mean, he's clear that you're busting up your own space, your own city. Where are you going to go, how are you going to live without all of the resources that are available if you trash them? We've heard that over and over from community activists. But, again, they understand the anger, they do. They understand why people are lashing out, but they don't like the method. They want a method that is different.
And what the method he recommended, was to do one thing: vote. And not just for the president, not just for the higher office. Vote in your local areas. Vote in your town, vote in your county, vote in your neighborhood. Vote for your people that you feel are going to bring good things to your neighborhood, to help it grow and prosper.
It was an incredible message, but clearly he's speaking to those who have been destructive, saying, Stop it. Not in our name -- Brianna.
KEILAR: Yes. Not in George Floyd's name, as he said. His brother moved there from Houston, he loved it there, and he would not have wanted folks to damage that community. Sara Sidner, thank you for bringing this moment. Thank you so much to you and your cameraman Stike (ph) for bringing this moment to us.
Here with me now to discuss this, really, I think an extraordinary moment with Terrence Floyd, the brother of George Floyd, is Martin Luther King III, the eldest son of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., and a global human rights leader in his own right.
You heard this powerful moment, Terrence Floyd visiting the site of his brother's death and pleading for peaceful protests. What did you think, watching this?
MARTIN LUTHER KING III, GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS LEADER: Number one, let me say that I cannot send enough condolences out to the family of George Floyd. Terrence Floyd certainly established the tone that the nation -- and the message the nation needs to hear, that if you are protesting in a violent way for what has happened, that that is against what the family wants.
And it is my hope that that message is heard and reverberates throughout our nation, in addition to the fact that people must mobilize and organize and vote in this upcoming election -- and, really, throughout. That was a very powerful message for a man to give who has just recently lost his brother through a senseless, an unforgivable -- I mean, it's forgivable, but an act that we would not expect to see, not over and over again.
I just hope that our nation is listening to what this young man said, and that (INAUDIBLE).
KEILAR: Do you think that they'll listen, Martin?
KING: I can only hope that people are listening. I do believe that a large number of people have already listened. When we look at, you know, Baltimore, where, the other day, they had a peaceful protest, we look at Orlando, we look at Flint, Michigan -- just to name a few -- and there have been peaceful protests taking place throughout the day in many of the communities.
The violence seems to come out at nighttime, darkness is what maybe creates the climate for things -- to do things and hide their hands because it's not clear, on chaos, who is actually doing the violence.
But I hope and pray that people are listening to Mr. Floyd. Mr. Floyd shared a powerful message, when our nation is -- our nation is beyond crying. We are pleading with lawmakers.
And I think one of the things I am aware of is Congressman Johnson, here in DeKalb County, Hank Johnson, has presented legislation to address the issue of police misconduct and violence. And while it may pass on the House side, it would certainly fall on deaf ears in the United States Senate.
That further reiterates the fact that people have to vote in vast numbers. There has to be changes that should be made to elect new leadership, not just at the federal level but at all levels, as Mr. Floyd said. No one could have given us a more important message at this time than what Mr. Floyd did.
KEILAR: I wonder if you can shed light on the Floyd family and you know, just sort of what they're navigating at this time, where this is such a deeply personal loss to them -- obviously, their brother, their son is gone -- and yet the significance of the loss of George Floyd, that it signifies the loss of so many other black Americans who have died at the hands of police and have not seen justice. And even justice isn't going to bring them back to life.
How -- can you just shed light, kind of, on that experience for them? And as you watch them navigate this so gracefully. KING: Yes. I would first have to say that this is -- this was a
prayer vigil, and that's essentially where it starts. We purport to be a nation that is founded on certain values and principles. What I think has to happen is, the institutions, as well as institutional racism, have to be addressed in our society.
Changes must be made. The hope would be that changes are made immediately, but this is a process. And it doesn't happen overnight -- although these tragedies have been occurring over and over again for years.
Fifty years ago, my father was demonstrating with sanitation workers over 50 years, and they had signs saying, "I am a man." Black lives today have signs, 52 years later, saying, "Black lives matter." And not just blacks. Blacks, whites, young people, older people, Latino and Hispanics, others have joined because they see this injustice that exists in this country. And people are not just crying out. People are saying, change must occur now.
I only hope our elected officials' ears are open and eyes are open, and that movement takes place right away. The time is now. There's nothing more powerful in all the world than an idea whose time has come.
And, quite frankly, when we talk about treating a person with humanity as a human being, we have lost our humanity in some of our police departments. We've lost our humanity when we as Americans can sit and watch policemen suck the life out of a human being by an action. There are ways to apprehend suspects -- it used to be done -- without killing a person.
I have to explain this to our daughter, our 12-year-old daughter who, in her own sense, has a heart to change our nation for the better of all of God's children. And it's very difficult to explain to a 12- year-older why this is happening, 52 years after her grandfather was killed, and about 14 years after her grandmother died.
They devoted their lives to the struggle for human rights, and yet we still are not being treated human. That can change overnight, and I would implore American corporations to join and make not just statements, but create policies that help to create change.
And I would venture to say that if corporate America is not willing to take a stand, the people have taken a stand. We need businesses to take stands as well, to stand with the people. Even a sheriff in Flint, Michigan has taken a stand. It's time for corporations to say, Enough is enough, this is wrong, this is unacceptable, we are better than this and we can change this.
KEILAR: Thank you so much, sir, for -- your voice is so important on this. Martin Luther King III, we really appreciate you joining with us today.
KING: Thank you.
[14:25:00] KEILAR: We have some breaking news out of the White House. President Trump, urging America's governors to use the National Guard to, quote, "dominate protests." We'll have more on that, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: We're following breaking news at the White House, where the president is putting new pressure on many of the nation's governors -- especially in blue states -- telling them on a call that most of them are, quote, "weak" in their handling of protests.
States have made more than 4,000 arrests; 40 of them have enacted curfews; 23 states activated their National Guard. Still, the president is urging governors to use more force, including using the National Guard to police America's cities.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (via telephone): It got so bad a few nights ago that the people wouldn't have minded an occupying force. I wish we had an occupying force in there. But for --
