A Minnesota jury's decision to convict former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on all three counts he faced was apparently not enough for Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) who delivered her response to the verdict via Instagram live Tuesday evening.
"It's not justice, and I'll explain to you why it's not justice," declared Ocasio-Cortez from the East Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
AOC tells her supporters the Chauvin verdict is not enough
— Jewish Deplorable (@TrumpJew2) April 20, 2021
“This is not justice... frankly, I don’t even think we call it full accountability” pic.twitter.com/BOlhWtDjGU
Ocasio-Cortez went a step further saying Tuesday's verdict is not accountability, nor should it be confused as an example of the system working:
"I don't even think we call it full accountability because there are multiple officers that were there, it wasn't just Derek Chauvin. And I also don't want this moment to be framed as the system working because it's not working. That's what creates a lot of complexity in this moment."
It's worth noting that the other Minneapolis cops Ocasio-Cortez refers to will also have their day in court in August.
Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, all of whom were fired and arrested days after George Floyd died last May, face charges at a trial on Aug. 23 that they aided and abetted second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter of Floyd.https://t.co/n1Z9DvwyDP
— WAVY TV 10 (@WAVY_News) April 20, 2021
What's more, if a full conviction is not justice, nor accountability, nor the system working, it begs the question: What is justice as defined by Ocasio-Cortez?
‘This is not justice’ @AOC reacts to #chauvinverdict pic.twitter.com/HIhYxPUx3R
— Caity McDuffee (@CaitMcDuffee) April 20, 2021
"Justice is Adam Toledo getting tucked in by his mom tonight. Justice is when you're pulled over, there not being a gun that's part of that interaction because you have a headlight out. Justice is your school system not having or being part of a school-to-prison pipeline. Justice is a municipality and a government that does not, because it trickles down right, that does not value military and armaments more than it values healthcare and education and housing."
Ocasio-Cortez also tweeted a similar sentiment Tuesday evening, adding that the guilty verdict is "not a substitute for policy change."
That a family had to lose a son, brother and father; that a teenage girl had to film and post a murder, that millions across the country had to organize and march just for George Floyd to be seen and valued is not justice.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 20, 2021
And this verdict is not a substitute for policy change. https://t.co/tiDkhl9Dk4