We are saddened but not shocked by the cold-blooded murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Police violence against Black people and people of color is an epidemic that cannot be tolerated. What happened in Minneapolis is another example of deadly systemic racism. African-Americans have been the victims of injustice for more than 400 years and it continues today.
As members of the labor movement, it is our duty to speak up and do our part to dismantle the systems that allow racism to continue.
We stand in solidarity with and condemn the mistreatment of the CNN reporters who were arrested while covering the news, and are grateful to all the journalists who have been on the ground documenting the uprising against police violence. During times of struggle, the work of a truly free press is even more crucial, and as a union of media workers, we must emphasize the importance of telling these heartbreaking and disturbing stories.
Our union stands alongside those who have risen up in protest, from Minneapolis to New York and everywhere in between, to demand justice and accountability for Floyd, and for all of the other lives that have been stolen and buried by an unequal justice system.
The Writers Guild of America, East condemns the murder of George Floyd, and demands that those responsible be held accountable. We cannot stay silent, and want to be clear in our firmly-held belief that Black lives matter, and that an injury to one is an injury to all.
