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| - Supporters and relatives of African American George Floyd began gathering Sunday ahead of the first anniversary of his death under a white policeman's knee, a killing that prompted a reckoning on racial injustice in the United States. Members of the Floyd family planned to march Sunday with relatives of other Black people who died in encounters with the police. Floyd, 46, was killed on May 25, 2020 by a police officer, Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on his neck for more than nine minutes in Minneapolis. Chauvin, convicted by a jury of murder and manslaughter, is to be sentenced on June 25. Floyd's death sparked protests against racial injustice across the United States and around the world. "We want the world to see how us families are hurting because the police took a loved one from us," Floyd's sister Bridgett Floyd told AFP previously. "We feel each other's pain." The rally is set for 4 pm (2100 GMT) at the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis, where Chauvin stood trial. Floyd's family is expected to speak, along with civil rights leaders and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. A march afterward is expected to draw several hundred protesters. Other events are planned in coming days. Frustrations have been running high in Minneapolis over mounting violence in the city. Anger over a soaring homicide rate and other gun violence -- a recent three-week span saw three children hit by stray bullets -- has led to the formation of citizen patrols. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey plans to add 200 officers to the city's thinned police ranks, and has called for more aid from outside law enforcement agencies. He supports community-driven efforts, including citizen patrols. "Minneapolis police officers will continue to rush into harm's way to save lives," Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said after the latest shootings Saturday. "However, we need help from community leaders and residents to stand up and speak out." "Our greatest strength is when we all work together to keep our city safe." bbk/jm
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