Thousands set to attend march in George Floyd's final resting place Houston

Houston: Thousands of people are expected to participate in a citywide march here on Tuesday to express outrage over the death of African-American George Floyd and offer solidarity with his grieving family.

Floyd, a 46-year-old restaurant worker from Houston, died in Minneapolis on Monday after a white police officer pinned him to the ground.

Video footage showed the officer kneeling on Floyd's neck as he gasped for breath, sparking widespread protests across the US.

On Monday, an official postmortem declared Floyd's death a homicide.

The organisers of the march and Houston police expect a huge turnout on Tuesday and hope things remain peaceful.

"Downtown should look like the Astros parade tomorrow (Tuesday),” said rapper and activist Trae Tha Truth, a friend of Floyd, who is among the organisers of the march.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner encouraged people to wear masks and social distance as much as possible.

He also asked them to continue to be respectful.

"This is a salute to George and an acknowledgement that he should not have died the way he did," Turner said.

"I hope people will honour George and not deface his name and his memory," the mayor said.

"I expect the march on Tuesday to be peaceful and respectful with the focus on George Floyd and his family," he said during a press conference on Monday.

Two prominent Houston rappers, Trae Tha Truth and Bun B, Mayor Sylvester Turner and Police Chief Art Acevedo will join the family of Floyd, in a march on Tuesday afternoon starting at downtown's Discovery Green and ending at the City Hall.

Turner stressed protesters should wear face coverings, bring a hand sanitizer or gloves and remain six feet from others if at all possible.

"For everyone that is going to be engaged in those crowds. You need to mask up and be respectful of not just yourself but of others."

Turner said the city has increased its law enforcement presence in preparation of Tuesday's march and is "ramping up" for a large crowd.

With the exception of some rioting, looting and over 400 arrests during the weekend protests, Turner said Houston protests have remained somewhat peaceful.

"Houston has helped set an example for protests across the nation," Turner said.

"Police have made some arrests but things have not gotten out of hand."

He also thanked the Houston police for their professionalism and firefighters for the support they have given being on the front lines.

Turner said he gives a lot of credit to Trae Tha Truth and Bun B for organising peaceful events and their efforts.

"This is a salute to Floyd and an acknowledgement that he should have not died the way he did. This is our home and this is Floyd home," he said.

Meanwhile, the funeral of Floyd will take place in his hometown Houston on June 9 which is expected to be attended by thousands and will include a police escort.

According to the media reports, legendary boxer, Floyd Mayweather, 43, will pay for George Floyd's funeral services.

Fort Bend Memorial Planning Center sources confirmed that Floyd's family has accepted Mayweather's offer to pay for the services.

The Floyd family announced earlier on Monday that there will be services held in Minneapolis, North Carolina and Houston.

The funeral arrangements for Floyd were announced on Monday at a news conference, where representatives for the Floyd family revealed the results of a private autopsy, which found that Floyd's death while in police custody was a homicide.

His death, the autopsy concluded, was caused by asphyxia from neck and back pressure that led to a lack of blood flow to the brain.

Police chief Acevedo, who has marched with demonstrators and changed the Houston Police Department's Twitter profile picture to an image of Floyd and the hashtag #JusticeForFloyd, said he offered to have his officers escort the body.

"We've reached out to the family," Chief Acevedo said and depending on their plans if they need help with the movement of the body, we've offered to provide that security.

"Governor Greg Abbott has issued a State of Disaster for all Texas counties in the midst of violent protests that endanger public safety and threaten property loss and damage."

Under the declaration, Abbott can designate federal agents to serve as state peace officers.

Major Texas cities including Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio were rocked by protests and demonstrations.

As Dallas reports, the city enacted an overnight curfew in the central Dallas area that was in effect from May 31 through 6 am June 1.

"Every Texan and every American has the right to protest and I encourage all Texans to exercise their First Amendment rights," said Abbott, in the statement.

"However, violence against others and the destruction of property is unacceptable and counterproductive.

As protests have turned violent in various areas across the state, it is crucial that we maintain order, uphold public safety, and protect against property damage or loss," he said.

"By authorising additional federal agents to serve as Texas Peace Officers we will help protect people's safety while ensuring that peaceful protesters can continue to make their voices heard," he added.