Beyonce on justice for George Floyd: "There is a long road ahead"

Beyonce has urged Black Lives Matter campaigners to stay “focused” as demonstrations against the death of George Floyd continue across the globe.

Posting on Instagram, the singer shared a powerful photo of protestors filling the streets of Minnesota, where Floyd died last week.

“The world came together for George Floyd. We know there is a long road ahead,” she wrote.

“Let’s remain aligned and focused in our call for real justice.”

Her call came hours after the charges against Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd’s neck, were upgraded to second-degree murder. Yesterday, three other officers were also charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder, and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

Last week, Beyonce also spoke out about Floyd’s tragic death in an emotional video posted to Instagram. 

She said: “We need justice for George Floyd. We all witnessed his murder in broad daylight. We’re broken and we’re disgusted.

“We cannot normalise this pain. I’m not only speaking to people of colour. If you’re white, black, brown, or anything in between, I’m sure you feel hopeless by the racism going on in America right now.

“No more senseless killings of human beings. No more seeing people of colour as less than human. We can no longer look away. George is all of our family in humanity. He’s family because he’s a fellow American.”

Protesters carry a Black Lives Matter sign during a march denouncing police brutality and systemic racism in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Days of protest, sometimes violent, have followed in many cities across the country in response to the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25th. CREDIT: Scott Heins/Getty Images

She added: “There have been too many times that we’ve seen these violent killings and no consequences. Yes, someone has been charged but justice is far from being achieved. Please sign the petition and continue to pray for peace, compassion, and healing for our country. Thank you so much.”

Her husband, Jay-Z, has also taken out full page newspaper adverts in tribute to Floyd.

Yesterday, thousands of people in the UK showed solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement by attending a massive protest in London’s Hyde Park.

The event also saw John Boyega receiving widespread praise for addressing the huge crowd.