Talk:George Floyd protests

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Frequently asked questions

Q1: Does it have to say "white" police officer?

A1: Yes, because almost all reliable sources emphasize the significance of this fact.

Q2: I read some information on the web that isn't in this article!

A2: When proposing anything to be added to the article you need to cite a reliable source; secondary sources are generally preferred over primary.

Q3: This article is biased (for/against), or (whitewashes/blames), (Floyd/police)!

A3: See our neutral point of view policy. Complaints of bias must be accompanied by specific concerns or suggestions for change. Vague, general statements don't help.

Q4: Why is this article calling it a murder instead of a death/killing?

A4: As a person was formally convicted for murder in a court of law, the article uses the term "murder", in line with the community guidance at WP:MURDERS.

Q5: Wasn't Floyd killed near a store called Cub Foods, not Cup Foods?

A5: The store is Cup Foods, and is not affiliated with the Cub Foods store chain.

Q6: Why does the article use such a graphic photo? Isn't it in poor taste?

A6: The lead image was determined by the community in a formal Request for Comment process. The RfC reached an "overwhelming consensus" that "...the image, despite it being traumatizing, should be kept per WP:NOTCENSORED, as it is an appropriate representation of the topic."

Q7: Why was my request or comment removed?

A7: Because of the frequency of meritless and disruptive requests, any further requests to describe Floyd's murder using other terms (e.g. "death", "overdose") or to change the name of the article accordingly will be removed without consideration, unless the request complies with all relevant Wikipedia guidelines and essays, including WP:Requested moves, WP:Common name, WP:Article titles, WP:Naming conventions (violence and deaths), and WP:Reliable sources. Anyone removing such requests should include a link to this FAQ in their edit summary.

Q8: Why do we not call the protests riots?

A8: Because most reliable sources call them protests, not riots.

Q9: Didn't he die of a drug overdose?

A9: No. While fentanyl was a contributory factor, his death certificate lists his cause of death as "cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression".

This article is written in American English, which has its own spelling conventions (center, color, defense, realize, traveled) and some terms may be different or absent from other varieties of English. According to the relevant style guide, this should not be changed without broad consensus.

A news item involving George Floyd protests was featured on Wikipedia's Main Page in the In the news section on 29 May 2020.

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This article has been mentioned by a media organization:

Harrison, Stephen (June 9, 2020). "How Wikipedia Became a Battleground for Racial Justice". Slate.

The contentious topics procedure applies to this article. This article relates to post-1992 politics of the United States and closely related people.

Editors who repeatedly or seriously fail to adhere to the purpose of Wikipedia, any expected standards of behaviour, or any normal editorial process may be blocked or restricted by an administrator.

This article has been viewed enough times in a single week to appear in the Top 25 Report. The week in which this happened:

May 31 to June 6, 2020 (7th)

On 25 August 2020, it was proposed that this article be moved from George Floyd protests to 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. The result of the discussion was consensus against move.

A fact from this article was featured on Wikipedia's Main Page in the On this day section on May 26, 2026.

Call them what they were, RIOTS

Latest comment: 10 months ago5 comments4 people in discussion

Stop calling the George Floyd protests peaceful and admit they were violent riots. 184.103.11.40 (talk) 09:36, 1 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

"The George Floyd protests were a series of protests, riots, and demonstrations " try reading our article and not social media. Slatersteven (talk) 09:42, 1 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

This has been corrected per your request after reviewing linked sources IraqiShawarmaQueen (talk) 22:02, 1 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

Reverted. Riots are mentioned, but removing the prominent mention of protests and demonstrations makes the first paragraph a less neutral summary of the rest of the article and the sources cited. Firefangledfeathers (talk / contribs) 02:16, 2 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

I dont wish to get into an edit war with you, but it is clear they were riots, and the greatest period of US civil unrest found in decades. IraqiShawarmaQueen (talk) 22:17, 2 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

Featured picture scheduled for POTD

Latest comment: 8 months ago1 comment1 person in discussion

Hello! This is to let editors know that File:A man stands on a burned out car on Thursday morning as fires burn behind him in the Lake St area of Minneapolis, Minnesota (49945886467).jpg, a featured picture used in this article, has been selected as the English Wikipedia's picture of the day (POTD) for May 28, 2026. A preview of the POTD is displayed below and can be edited at Template:POTD/2026-05-28. For the greater benefit of readers, any potential improvements or maintenance that could benefit the quality of this article should be done before its scheduled appearance on the Main Page. If you have any concerns, please place a message at Wikipedia talk:Picture of the day. Thank you! — Amakuru (talk) 14:37, 2 December 2025 (UTC)Reply

The hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) is a tropical bird found in the Amazon basin and the Orinoco Basin in South America. It is the only extant species in the family Opisthocomidae. A folivore, the hoatzin eats the leaves of the plants that grow in its marshy and riverine habitat. Its digestive system supports fermentation and effective breakdown of plant matter, a trait typically found in ruminants such as cattle. Because of aromatic compounds in the leaves it consumes and the fermentation required to digest them, the hoatzin has a manure-like odor, giving it a local nickname of stinkbird. It is a noisy bird and makes a variety of hoarse calls, including groans, croaks, hisses and grunts. Its chicks feature primitive claws on two of their wing digits, which they use immediately after hatching to move around tree branches. The hoatzin is believed to remain fairly common in a large part of its range, but its population is likely decreasing due to habitat loss. It is the national bird of Guyana. This hoatzin was photographed on a branch above the Napo River, a tributary of the Amazon River, in northeastern Ecuador.

Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp

Recently featured:

Idea: Lowering the protection

Latest comment: 8 months ago2 comments2 people in discussion

I know they’ll be some issues due to the enforcement but this Black Lives Matter “protest” is no longer relevant. People in the US are more focused on ICE, Trump, and the Israel and Palestine conflict more than this protest that happened five years ago. The ICE wiki page can be edited by anyone without an account and such yet this article still has the protection. I think that page deserves it more than a protest that’s no longer relevant anymore. ~2025-38080-92 (talk) 20:37, 2 December 2025 (UTC)Reply

The best place to propose a change to protection levels is at WP:RFPP EvergreenFir (talk) 21:09, 2 December 2025 (UTC)Reply

change from protests to riots

Latest comment: 2 months ago2 comments2 people in discussion

over 20 cities saw arson and looting from rioters KG4547 (talk) 19:56, 10 May 2026 (UTC)Reply

Q8 in the FAQ at the top of this page. A8: Because most reliable sources call them protests, not riots. O3000, Ret. (talk) 20:02, 10 May 2026 (UTC)Reply

Alternate Title and the correction of the misnomer

Latest comment: 2 months ago2 comments2 people in discussion

People wrongly call it the "Summer of Love" (which was a Hippie/Counterculture movement in the summer of 1967 in San Francisco..

We should have a subtitle/alternate name that links here from the "Summer of Peace" Cameronwiki7 (talk) 22:53, 22 May 2026 (UTC)Reply

Where do we use that term? Slatersteven (talk) 09:25, 23 May 2026 (UTC)Reply

A page that knows where it met you.

Call them what they were, RIOTS

Featured picture scheduled for POTD

Idea: Lowering the protection

change from protests to riots

Alternate Title and the correction of the misnomer