Exchange operators show solidarity with anti-racism movement with symbolic gesture
The New York Stock Exchange, along with other financial-market operators in the U.S., held a moment of silence in honour of 46-year-old African-American George Floyd, who died from the actions of a white police officer on May 25.
Starting at noon, the NYSE floor was silent for eight minutes and 46 seconds, representing the length of time for which the officer had knelt on Floyd’s neck, reported Reuters. The silence was also timed to coincide with the start of Floyd’s funeral in Houston.
“There is no place for racial injustice across corporate America, our communities, our individuals, and we really need to highlight that,” NYSE President Stacey Cunningham declared during a livestreamed interview with Axios.
Nasdaq Inc, Cboe Global Markets Inc and IEX Group also dedicated a moment of silence to Floyd, whose death set off a global wave of rallies protesting against anti-black discrimination.
An open-casket funeral was held for Floyd at the Fountain of Praise Church in Houston, where he grew up.
“Our nation is in pain right now. So we cannot minimize that pain,” Cunningham said. “It's really critical that we find solutions.”
