TORONTO -- A FedEx employee has been fired and a New Jersey corrections officer has been suspended after video surfaced showing them appearing to re-enact and mock the death of George Floyd during a Black Lives Matter rally in New Jersey.
Videos of the incident began circulating on social media shortly after an anti-racism march took place on Monday in the small town of Franklinville, New Jersey. The rally happened on the same day that thousands of mourners packed a church in Houston, Texas, for a public memorial in Floyd’s honour.
Several videos taken at the rally show a small group of white counter-protesters gathered at the side of the road while a procession of demonstrators make their way down the street. One of the white men is seen kneeling on the back of another man who is lying face-down on the ground while two other men stand nearby.
The kneeling man appears to be yelling at protesters as they walk by. American flags and banners supporting U.S. President Donald Trump can be seen hanging from a pair of pick-up trucks parked behind the counter-protesters.
The identity of the white man kneeling in the video has not been verified, but a local NBC10 report later learned the man was, in fact, employed by FedEx. The story also stated the New Jersey corrections officer was off to the side filming the incident. In one Instagram post shared by a user who goes by the handle “@stfuml,” the user’s caption asked if FedEx believed the man’s behaviour aligned with its company’s policy.
In a statement shared to Facebook and Twitter, the New Jersey Department of Corrections said they were aware one of their officers had “participated in the filming of a hateful and disappointing video that mocked the killing of George Floyd.” The statement went on to say that the person had been suspended from their job and banned from the department pending an investigation.
FedEx also responded to the allegations, stating than an employee involved in the alleged incident had been fired, according to another local media report. FedEx did not name the individual, but called the video “appalling and offensive” and went on to say that a “diverse and inclusive workforce is at the heart of our business, and we stand with those who support justice and equality.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy condemned the incident Tuesday night in a tweet saying, “We won’t let the actions of a few distract from our progress toward dismantling systemic racism.” Franklinville’s mayor and police chief issued a joint statement on Facebook saying they were "appalled and saddened” by what happened during Monday’s march, adding “This is not who we are as a Community.”
The May 25 death of George Floyd while he was in Minneapolis police custody has drawn international attention to the treatment of Black people by police and has galvanized anti-racism protests demanding racial justice and equality around the world.
