"This can be a giant step forward on the march towards justice."

The world watched with bated breath as the jury involved in the George Floyd trial delivered their verdict last night. Derek Chauvin, the police officer who was filmed kneeling on Floyd's neck last year, was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second degree manslaughter. He pleaded not guilty. As the verdict was delivered, a sense of relief was felt throughout communities in the US, and indeed the world. "Today we are able to breathe again," Floyd's brother Philonise said. "The world seen his life being extinguished, and I could do nothing but watch ... especially in that courtroom over and over and over again as my brother was murdered." Philonise reiterated the need for action: "Ten miles away from here, Mr. Wright, Daunte Wright, he should still be here. We always have to understand we have to march, we have to do this for life, we have to protest. It seems like this is a never-ending cycle." https://twitter.com/AttorneyCrump/status/1384623880900419584 Another brother of George's, Terrence, said: "My family is a family that will not back down from prayer. And I believe because of prayer, we got the verdict we wanted. "We got on our knees. Some of us stood up, but we asked the right one. We said – God, we need justice, we need it now. And he answered. I'm just grateful." Rodney Floyd, another brother of George said: "This is a victory for all of us. There is no color barrier on all of this. This is for everyone held down, pinned down ... For George, this fight is not over." Rodney also stressed the importance of passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a bill that aims to "hold law enforcement accountable for misconduct in court, improve transparency through data collection, and reform police training and policies". "We have to get this act passed," Rodney said. "We are going to keep pressure on the Senate and everyone." President Joe Biden described the verdict as a "step forward". https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1384646702360113152 Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledged that while the verdict is a step closer to equal justice, it cannot heal the pain felt by the Floyd family. https://twitter.com/VP/status/1384661340892057601 Similarly, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez added that the verdict is "not a substitute for policy change". https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1384630276593180674 Barack Obama wrote that while the jury did the right thing, true justice "requires much more". https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/1384626851511951360