´óÏó´«Ã½

A memorial for George Floyd has taken place in the United States.

Thousands of people came together in the city of Minneapolis to attend the event in his memory at the Frank J. Lindquist Sanctuary at North Central University, on Thursday.

It's the first of three public memorials which will be held before he is buried on Tuesday in Houston, in Texas - that's where he grew up.

George died after being stopped by officers. He was held down for eight minutes and 46 seconds despite saying he couldn't breathe.

His death has sparked protests all over the world, including here in the UK, to fight against racial inequality and police brutality.

The memorial event was open to invited guests and family members, but some celebrities and political leaders like Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish and Martin Luther King III also attended the memorial.

As the service began, University President Scott Hagen, announced that they were making a George Floyd Memorial Scholarship at the University. A scholarship is an award of money to help pay for a student to continue their education, when they might not otherwise have been able to afford it.

"I'm now challenging every university president in the United States of America to establish your own George Floyd memorial scholarship fund," he said.

A eulogy - a speech in tribute to George - was led by Reverend Al Sharpton who asked people to stand in silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds.

George's brother Philonise spoke at the memorial, as did his other family members, describing George as a good and kind man.

Outside the chapel many people gathered to pay their respects and listen to the service.

Zenzele Isoke was one of those who was there and said: "I'm not gonna give up, and we're not gonna give up until this world changes."

"[Floyd's] spirit is alive in every breath that I draw," she added. "He's looking down and he's with us, so actually we're closer together now than we've ever been."

Another attendee, Mahlet Aschenaki, said: "It's important for us to come together and grieve because we have been out there cause of our anger, and now it's important to come together in the grieving process...I think it's really good for the community to all be here, show their support and overall just be here for his family."