NY health workers rally for Black Lives movement

Hundreds of healthworkers in New York City rallied on Thursday to show solidarity for the Black Lives Matter Movement. The rally was held against the backdrop of continuing protests and unrest surrounding the death of George Floyd. Floyd, who was black, died May 25 in Minneapolis after a white police officer pressed his knee into Floyd's neck while Floyd was handcuffed for several minutes even after Floyd stopped moving and pleading for air.

Since then, Floyd's name has been chanted by hundreds of thousands of people and empowered a movement. Violent encounters between police, protesters, and observers have inflamed a country already reeling from the coronavirus pandemic. Floyd, who was black, died May 25. The police officer involved is white and has been charged with second-degree murder. Three other officers at the scene face charges of aiding and abetting.

Since Floyd's arrest was captured on video, his name has been chanted by hundreds of thousands of people and empowered a movement. Violent encounters between police, protesters, and observers have inflamed a country already reeling from the coronavirus pandemic. Addressing a crowd of medical professionals and supporters, Dami Lolaidowu, Emergency Medicine Resident at  Bellevue Hospital said  "We cannot heal knowing that our status as healthcare workers, heroes as we've been called the last few months, does not protect us from police violence, because our skin is brown." Lolaidowu noted, many of the hospital workforce, who have received so much praise during the COVID-19 outbreak, come from the  neighborhoods most impacted by aggressive policing and police brutality.