George Floyd death: Sky News dedicates channel to livestream of Derek Chauvin trial

Sunday 28 March 2021

Sky News will livestream the courtroom footage from the trial of Derek Chauvin in its entirety on a dedicated TV channel George Floyd Killing: The Trial and across its digital channels starting Monday 29th March.

Former Minnesota police officer Chauvin goes on trial on two counts of murder and one count of manslaughter for the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, in the city of Minneapolis last May.

Described as one of the most important trials in US history, fourteen jury members will hear trial proceedings to decide whether Chauvin should serve time in prison or be acquitted for Floyd’s death.

Chauvin was filmed with his knee on his neck of George Floyd for nearly nine minutes while he was handcuffed and pleading that he couldn’t breathe. The video was shared around the world and sparked months of protests against racial injustice and police brutality.

Sky’s commitment to live coverage of significant court cases goes back more than 25 years to the trial of OJ Simpson in 1995 and has seen Sky campaign for cameras in U.K. courts.

Using a virtual gallery, the Court TV footage will be streamed live from 3pm to 11pm BST Monday to Friday for the duration of the trial.

Sky News will run a weekly summary of the case every Sunday evening at 8.30pm.

In the wake of George Floyd’s death in 2020, Sky News broadcast a series of special live events called ‘Race and Revolution’. Hosted by Gillian Joseph and with a virtual audience, the programmes discussed the impact and legacy of his death and explored whether there has been a fundamental shift towards tackling racial inequality.

The Sky documentary ‘8 Minutes And 46 Seconds - The Killing of George Floyd’ examines those terrible moments, the subsequent global protests, and asks if it is a turning point in the anti-racism movement.

George Floyd Killing: The Trial will be available in the UK and ROI on Sky channel 524 and online through the Sky News website and app.

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