One of the men who was seen counter-protesting against a Black Lives Matter demonstration on Monday has been fired from his FedEx job. The other man, a New Jersey corrections officer, has already been suspended.
FedEx called the video "appalling and offensive," according to CBSN Philly.
“The behavior depicted in the video, which involved a FedEx employee, is appalling and offensive,” FedEx said in a statement. “The employee in question was immediately removed from all FedEx work duties while our investigation is concluded and all internal procedures are followed. FedEx holds its team members to a high standard of personal conduct, and we do not tolerate the kind of appalling and offensive behavior depicted in this video. The individual involved is no longer employed by FedEx. We stand with those who support justice and equality.”
6abc in Philadelphia reported that the protesters were yelling and taunting Black Lives Matter protesters, who were out protesting against racism and police brutality after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
In a video captured by Russell Sampson, who participated in the Black Lives Matter march, one of the men is seen replicating Floyd’s death, kneeling on the neck of another man.
Floyd was killed on Memorial Day when Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes. In cell phone video of Floyd’s death, he can be heard pleading for air, saying, “I can’t breathe” over and over again.
“That was a real person, yes,” Sampson told the station. “That was willing to get down and show such hate.”
The news station reported that as Black Lives Matter protesters demonstrated, counter-protesters were heard saying, “Black lives do not matter,” and, “Black lives matter to no one.”
The peaceful protest was organized by Daryan Fennal, 6abc reported.
“What goes viral is all the negativity, like this video that came out and is shared thousands of times. I want to share that ultimately the intentions were pure and we were all about unity,” says Daryan Fennal.
Both men, one who works for FedEx and another who works for the New Jersey Department of Corrections, have been suspended from their jobs pending investigations. It was not made clear which man was replicating Floyd’s death in the video or whether one of the men was a bystander.
“We have been made aware that one of our officers from Bayside State Prison participated in the filming of a hateful and disappointing video that mocked the killing of George Floyd,” the Department of Corrections said in a statement. “The individual has been suspended from their post and banned from NJDOC facilities pending a thorough and expedited investigation.”
The FedEx employee was identified by the company.
"The behavior depicted in the video, which involved a FedEx employee, is appalling and offensive,” the company said in a statement. “The employee in question was immediately removed from all FedEx work duties while our investigation is concluded and all internal procedures are followed. A diverse and inclusive workforce is at the heart of our business, and we stand with those who support justice and equality.”
Neither of the men has commented on the situation and did not respond when contacted by 6abc.
