The announcement was celebrated by protesters chanting Ahmaud Arbery’s name outside of court in Brunswick, Georgia. In the courtroom, a family member screamed with joy when McMichael was convicted, the AFP news agency described.
The ruling was also celebrated by President Joe Biden, who stressed however that there is still “work” to be done to ensure racial justice. “While the guilty verdicts reflect that our justice system is doing its job, that alone is not enough,” the president said in a statement released by the White House. “Instead, we must recommit to building a future of shared unity and strength, where no one fears violence because of the color of their skin,” added Biden.
On February 23, 2020, Arbery, a 25-year-old African-American, was jogging in Brunswick, a coastal town in Georgia, when he was chased by the three men. After five minutes on his heels, McMichael shot him down.
A video of the shooting went viral on social media and was crucial to the arrest of the killers, who nonetheless pleaded not guilty. They alleged that they had mistaken the broker for a thief and invoked a Georgia state law authorizing ordinary citizens to make arrests, as well as self-defense, accusing Arbery of reacting aggressively. The three white men are also accused of racist crimes by federal justice and will be tried again in February.
The case fueled 2020 protests in the United States against racial injustice sparked by the murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, by a white police officer in Minnesota. Travis McMichael, 35, retired police officer Gregory McMichael, 65, and Bryan, 52, face possible life in prison for Arbery’s murder. On the 19th of this month, the Justice acquitted a young man who killed two Afro-descendants in a ruling that raised a wave of repudiation and even generated public outrage from Biden.
Source From: Ambito
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
