AN ILLEGAL CHOKEHOLD.
GARNER REPEATED I CAN’T BREATHE
NEARLY A DOZEN TIMES BEFORE HE
DIED.
I’M JOINED NOW BY THE MOTHER OF
ERIC GARNER, GWEN CARR.
IT’S GREAT TO HAVE YOU WITH US.
THANKS FOR JOINING US ON HAVE
VERY IMPORTANT DAY.
THE WORLD GOT TO KNOW ERIC
GARNER THROUGH THAT TRAGIC EVENT
SIX YEARS AGO.
I WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU’RE
REMEMBERING YOUR SON TODAY AND
WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO
REMEMBER.
>> I AM REMEMBERING HIM TODAY AS
I REMEMBER HIM EVERY DAY.
TODAY IS ESPECIALLY HARD BECAUSE
IT BRINGS BACK ALL THE MEMORIES
OF THAT DAY THAT NYPD MURDERED
MY SON.
EVEN THOUGH HE SAID "I CAN’T
BREATHE" 11 TIMES, THEY DECIDED
TO TAKE HIS LIFE ANYWAY.
YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK THAT HE
WOULD BE SO PROUD OF ME BECAUSE
HE’D SEE HOW HIS MOTHER HAS
STOOD UP THROUGH THESE SIX YEARS
NON-STOP WITH THE CAMERAS ON,
WITH THE CAM ROSS OFF.
I’VE BEEN GOING TO LEGISLATORS
TO GET LAWS CHANGED.
YOU KNOW WE HAVE GOTTEN LAWS
CHANGED IN HIS HONOR.
THE ERIC GARNER ANTI CHOKEHOLD
LAW.
TODAY WHAT I’M DOING, IT’S A
PRIVATE DAY FOR ME TODAY.
USUALLY I HAVE HUNDREDS OF
PEOPLE AROUND ME.
TODAY JUST ME AND THE FAMILY,
THE GRANDCHILDREN.
WE’RE GOING TO VISIT ERIC’S
GRAVE.
WE’RE GOING TO REMEMBER HIM
PRIVATELY.
NO BIG EVENTS FOR ME TODAY.
>> WE’RE GOING TO GET TO YOUR
ACTIVISM IN JUST A MINUTE.
I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT
THIS PARTICULAR YEAR BECAUSE YOU
TOLD THE "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS"
THAT THIS WEEK -- YOU TOLD THEM
THIS WEEK TODAY YOU WOULD BE
REFLECTED NOT JUST ON THE LOSS
OF ERIC GARNER BUT BECAUSE OF
GEORGE FLOYD.
IT’S LIKE A BOOMERANG.
GEORGE FLOYD USED THE SAME WORDS
MY SON SAID SIX YEARS AGO.
NOW THE CRY IS I CAN’T BREATHE.
TELL ME ABOUT HOW THIS YEAR IS
DIFFERENT WITH WHAT WE’RE SEEING
IN THIS COUNTRY OVER THE PAST
COUPLE MONTHS.
>> WELL, IT IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE
ALL THE MASSES ARE COMING OUT
EVEN THOUGH THEY DID COME OUT
WITH MY SON, ALSO.
WE HAVE ALL AGES, ALL CREEDS,
RELIGION, EVERYONE IS TAKING A
STAND, AND THAT IS A GREAT
THING.
I THINK IT’S DUE TO THE PANDEMIC
WHERE EVERYONE HAD TO SIT DOWN
AND LOOK AND SEE WHAT ACTION WAS
HAPPENING IN THE WORLD.
NOW THIS BROUGHT THEM TO
ATTENTION.
IT WAS A BOOMERANG COMING BACK
TO THE CRIES OF MY SON’S I CAN’T
BREATHE TO FINISH THE FIGHT.
>> YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW YOUR SON
WOULD BE SO PROUD OF THE
ACTIVISM THAT YOU’VE BEEN
LEADING.
YOU HAVE TURNED YOUR GRIEF INTO
ACTIVISM, SPEAKING TO FAMILIES
WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THE SAME
HEARTBREAKING LOSS AS YOU HAVE.
WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO THOSE
FAMILIES THAT YOU HAVE GOTTEN TO
KNOW OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF
YEARS, AND CERTAINLY TO THE
MOTHERS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR SONS
IN THIS?
>> WELL, I WANT TO SAY TO ALL
THE MOTHERS, THE FATHERS AND THE
FAMILIES WHO HAVE LOST LOVED
ONES THE SAME ONES I HAVE LOST
MY LOVED ONE TO STAY STRONG AND
TO STAY ENCOURAGED AND TO KEEP
UP WITH THE FIGHT.
DON’T LET THE FIRE BURN OUT
BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN
WE’VE SETTLED DOWN, THEY SETTLE
DOWN AND THEY SWEEP ALL OF THIS
UP UNDER THE RUG.
WE CAN’T LET THEM SWEEP IT UNDER
THE RUG.
WE HAVE TO KEEP SAYING OR LOVED
ONES’ NAME.
WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR FIRE TO THE
FEET OF THE LEGISLATORS.
>> SPEAKING OF THE LEGISLATORS,
THERE HAS BEEN SOME SMALL
SUCCESSES IN CITIES LIKE NEW
YORK THAT HAVE PASSED ANTI
CHOKEHOLD BILLS, BUT WE HAVEN’T
SEEN ANY NATIONAL LEVEL POLICE
REFORM LEGISLATION MAKE ITS WAY
THROUGH CONGRESS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK NEEDS TO BE
DONE NEXT FOR NATIONAL POLICE
REFORM?
>> WELL, WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE
LEGISLATORS.
THEY CAN MAKE IT NATIONAL.
THEY’RE NOT GOING TO DO IT
WITHOUT THE PUSH FROM US BEHIND
THEM.
WE NEED EVERYONE.
WE NEED THE LEGISLATORS.
WE NEED THE PEOPLE.
WE NEED THE MOTHERS.
WE NEED EVERYONE TO PUSH FORWARD