Colin Kaepernick helps start defence fund for George Floyd death protesters

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick has helped start a fund to provide defence lawyers for those who are arrested in Minneapolis protesting the police killing of George Floyd.

Kaepernick has created the Know Your Rights Camp Legal Defense Initiative web page, which says it has identified top lawyers “to provide legal resources for those in need.”

The web page provides resources for protesters, including a form to fill out if in need of an attorney.

Criminal charges were filed Friday against Derek Chauvin, the white police officer who held his knee for nearly nine minutes on the neck of Floyd, a black man who was handcuffed at the time after being detained on suspicion of trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Chauvin and three other officers at the scene of Floyd’s death were fired after video showed their encounter with Floyd, who did not appear to be resisting arrest as police reported. No charges have been filed against the other officers.

Kaepernick, who hasn’t played in the NFL since 2016 with the San Francisco 49ers, was at the Centre of protests about racial and social injustice after he knelt during the national anthem before games. In February, the league settled a grievance filed by Kaepernick and former 49ers teammate Eric Reid.

The web page created for Kaepernick’s legal assistance includes a quote from Malcolm X: “Concerning non-violence, it is criminal to teach a man not to defend himself when he is the constant victim of brutal attacks.”