US remembers George Floyd, one year on

A family-friendly street festival, musical performances and moments of silence have been held to honour George Floyd and mark the year since he died at the hands of Minneapolis police.

Floyd's death, captured on wrenching bystander video, galvanised the racial justice movement and continues to bring calls for change.

Floyd's sister Bridgett and other family members held a moment of silence at a "Celebration of Life" event at a downtown Minneapolis park that included music, food trucks, an inflatable bouncy house and a vaccination stand.

A few kilometres away, at the site of the intersection where Floyd died, dozens of people knelt around a steel fist sculpture for several minutes - symbolising the 9 minutes and 29 seconds during which Floyd was pinned down.

"It's been a troubling year, a long year," Bridgett Floyd told the crowd downtown.

"But we made it. ... The love is here. George is here."

Other members of Floyd's family met in Washington with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who urged Congress to quickly pass a law in Floyd's name that would bring changes to policing.

A moment of silence to honour Floyd was also held in New York and a rally was held in Los Angeles. Globally, a rally took place in Germany and Floyd's death was marked by US embassies in Greece and Spain.

Hours before the Minneapolis festivities, the intersection where Floyd died was disrupted by gunfire.

Associated Press video from 38th Street and Chicago Avenue - informally known as George Floyd Square - showed people running for cover as shots rang out. Police said a man, who they believe was injured in the shooting, went to a nearby hospital with a gunshot wound. Police said he was in critical condition but was expected to survive. There were no immediate arrests.

The square was transformed on Tuesday into an outdoor festival, with food, children's activities and music. At times, people danced in the street. Artwork and signs from protests after Floyd's death also were on display. One group hosted an open mic next to a greenhouse that community members constructed earlier this year to house flowers left by mourners. Nearby, a brass band played for passersby.

The celebration also included a candlelight vigil and capped several days of marches, rallies and panel discussions about his death and confronting racial discrimination.

Floyd, 46, who was black, died May 25, 2020, after then-Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck, pinning him to the ground. Chauvin, who is white, was convicted last month of murder and faces sentencing on June 25. Three other fired officers still face trial.

Several Floyd family members, including his young daughter Gianna, met with Biden and Harris earlier on Tuesday. Biden, who previously pledged to continue fighting for racial justice, said he hopes the Senate can quickly pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and get it to his desk.

"We have to act," he said of the legislation that would ban chokeholds and no-knock police raids and create a national registry for officers disciplined for serious misconduct.

Floyd's brother Philonise told CNN he thinks about George "all the time".

"My sister called me at 12 o'clock last night and said 'This is the day our brother left us,"' he said, adding: "I think things have changed. I think it is moving slowly but we are making progress." death.

The Floyd family announced the launch of a fund that will make grants to businesses and community organisations in the neighbourhood, as well as broader grants "encouraging the success and growth of black citizens and community harmony."

The money comes from $500,000 earmarked as part of the city's $27 million civil settlement for the Floyd family.