George Floyd was lovingly remembered Tuesday as 含羞草研究社淏ig Floyd含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� a father and brother, athlete and mentor, and now a force for change 含羞草研究社� at a funeral for the black man whose death has sparked a global reckoning over police brutality and racial prejudice.

Hundreds of mourners wearing masks against the coronavirus packed a Houston church a little more than two weeks after Floyd was pinned to the pavement by a white Minneapolis police officer who put a knee on his neck for what prosecutors said was 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

Cellphone video of the encounter, including Floyd含羞草研究社檚 pleas of 含羞草研究社淚 can含羞草研究社檛 breathe,含羞草研究社� ignited protests and scattered violence across the U.S. and around the world, turning the 46-year-old Floyd 含羞草研究社� a man who in life was little known beyond the public housing project where he was raised in Houston含羞草研究社檚 Third Ward 含羞草研究社� into a worldwide symbol of injustice.

含羞草研究社淭hird Ward, Cuney Homes, that含羞草研究社檚 where he was born at,含羞草研究社� Floyd含羞草研究社檚 brother, Rodney, told mourners at the Fountain of Praise church. 含羞草研究社淏ut everybody is going to remember him around the world. He is going to change the world.含羞草研究社�

The funeral capped six days of mourning for Floyd in three cities.

Following the service, Floyd含羞草研究社檚 body was to be taken by horse-drawn carriage to a cemetery in suburban Pearland, where he was to be laid to rest next to his mother.

含羞草研究社淕eorge Floyd was not expendable. This is why we含羞草研究社檙e here,含羞草研究社� Democratic Rep. Al Green of Houston told the crowd. 含羞草研究社淗is crime was that he was born black. That was his only crime. George Floyd deserved the dignity and respect that we accord all people just because they are children of a common God.含羞草研究社�

While the service was private, at least 50 people gathered outside to pay their respects. Some held signs with messages including 含羞草研究社淏lack Lives Matter含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淭ogether because of George Floyd.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 a real big change going on, and everybody, especially black, right now should be a part of that,含羞草研究社� said Kersey Biagase, who travelled more than three hours from Port Barre, Louisiana, with his girlfriend, Brandi Pickney. They wore T-shirts printed with Floyd含羞草研究社檚 name and 含羞草研究社淚 Can含羞草研究社檛 Breathe.含羞草研究社�

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Dozens of Floyd含羞草研究社檚 family members, most dressed in white, were led into the sanctuary by the Rev. Al Sharpton, the civil rights activist.

The mourners also included rapper Trae tha Truth, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who brought the crowd to its feet when he announced he will sign an executive order banning chokeholds in the city.

含羞草研究社淣o child should have to ask questions that too many black children have had to ask for generations: Why?含羞草研究社� former Vice-President Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential candidate, said in a video eulogy played at the service. 含羞草研究社淣ow is the time for racial justice. That is the answer we must give to our children when they ask why.含羞草研究社�

Biden made no mention of politics. But other speakers took swipes at President Donald Trump, who has ignored demands to address racial bias and has called on authorities crack down hard on lawlessness.

含羞草研究社淭he president talks about bringing in the military, but he did not say one word about 8 minutes and 46 seconds of police murder of George Floyd,含羞草研究社� Sharpton said. 含羞草研究社淗e challenged China on human rights. But what about the human right of George Floyd?含羞草研究社�

The Rev. William Lawson, a contemporary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., said: 含羞草研究社淥bviously the first thing we have to do is clean out the White House.含羞草研究社�

Most of the pews were full, with relatively little space between people.

含羞草研究社淪o much for social distancing today,含羞草研究社� the Rev. Remus Wright told mourners, gently but firmly instructing those attending to wear face fasks.

With the funeral inside the church still underway, hundreds of people lined the route to the cemetery. Many said they had arrived hours ahead to secure a spot.

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e out here for a purpose. That purpose is because first of all he含羞草研究社檚 our brother. Second, we want to see change,含羞草研究社� said Marcus Brooks, 47, who set up a tent along the route with other graduates of Jack Yates High School, Floyd含羞草研究社檚 alma mater. 含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛 want to see any black man, any man, but most definitely not a black man sitting on the ground in the hands of bad police.含羞草研究社�

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The funeral came a day after about 6,000 people attended a public memorial, also in Houston, waiting for hours under a baking sun to pay their respects to Floyd, whose body lay in an open gold-colored casket. Over the past six days, memorials for Floyd were also held in Minneapolis, where he lived in recent years, and Raeford, North Carolina, near where he was born.

The services have drawn the families of other black victims whose names have become part of the debate over race and justice 含羞草研究社� among them, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Ahmaud Arbery and Trayvon Martin.

In the past two weeks, amid the furor over Floyd含羞草研究社檚 death, sweeping and previously unthinkable things have taken place: Confederate statues have been toppled, and many cities are debating overhauling, dismantling or cutting funding for police departments. Authorities in some places have barred police from using chokeholds or are otherwise rethinking policies on the use of force.

Floyd, a bouncer who had lost his job because of the coronavirus outbreak, was seized by police after being accused of passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a convenience store.

Four Minneapolis officers were arrested in his death: Derek Chauvin, 44, was charged with second-degree murder. J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao were charged with aiding and abetting. All four could get up to 40 years in prison.

Some of the mostly peaceful demonstrations that erupted after Floyd含羞草研究社檚 death were marked by bursts of arson, assaults, vandalism and smash-and-grab raids on businesses, with more than 10,000 people arrested. But protests in recent days have been overwhelmingly peaceful.

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Associated Press writers Tamara Lush in St. Petersburg, Florida, Paul J. Weber in Austin, Texas, Marina Villeneuve in Albany, and Bill Barrow in Atlanta, contributed to this report.

Juan A. Lozano, Nomaan Merchant And Adam Geller, The Associated Press

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