Floyd Spurred Broad Push for Change Globally, Activists Say

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- As Minneapolis braces for Monday's opening statements in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the ex-officer who is charged with murder and manslaughter in George Floyd's death, so does the world.

Floyd was the spark that set the U.S. ablaze. Millions of Americans, along with thousands in cities abroad, took to the streets in protests that drew many new supporters to the Black Lives Matter cause.

But then-President Donald Trump's move to transform the unrest into a winning political issue left the U.S. seemingly more divided on issues than ever.

Still, Floyd's global impact is undeniable. And many are looking to carry the push for change well beyond the outcome of the trial, in Floyd's name and in the names of so many others.

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