>> this is "d.w. news live from berlin. the funeral of george floyd is taking place in his hometown of houston, tick. these are live pictures of the ceremony. it's being held in front of 500 invited mourners. thousands filed past his coffin on monday to pay their final respects. george floyd's death in police custody in minneapolis two weeks ago has sparked global protests against racism. also coming up tonight, the oscar-winning director spike lee gives d.w. his reaction to

george floloyd's d death. he says donalald trump will go down i in history as amererica' worst ever president. and -- >> down down with police brutality now! >> in kenya activists are also protesting against police brutality. authorities are investigating 15 cases of police killings since the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown. brent: i'm brent goff. to our viewers all around the world, welcome. they have come a final time to say good-bye. the funeral of george floyd, the black man whose death in police custody ignited global protests, is taking place right now at the fountain of praise church in houston, texas.

friends and mourners of floyd's family have been speaking strongly and eloquently about the mantha they knew and loved. -- man that they knew and loved. we'll go live to houston in a moment, but first let's hear what those friends and family members have been saying about a man named george floyd. >> master, we thank you for this celebration. we thank you for the life of george floyd, o god. that at a moment when he called out f for his mama,a, we believ that the ears of mamas across this nation reared up. that the ears of mamas across this world heard him cry even though for one mama, all mamas began to wail. we began to wail for our children. we began to wail for our grandchildren. we wail for men across this world because of one mama's call. god, thank you. >> more hate crimes, please. someone said, make america great again. but when has america ever been great? [cheers and applause]

those four officers were literarally on him for ninene minutes. and this is not just murder but a hate crime. i believe my grandmother was right there with open arms say, come home, baby. you shouldn't feel this pain. no one should feel this pain. >> if four blacks had done to one white, if four black cops had done to one white, what was done to george, they wouldn't have to teach no new lessons. they wouldn't have to get corporations to get money. they would send them to jail and until we know the price for black life is the same as the price for white life, we're going to keep coming back to these situations over and over again. either the law will work or it

won't work. brent: that was reverend al sharpton speaking at the funeral for geoeorge floyd. d.w.'s oliver joins me now. he is there where the funeral is taking place in houston. oliver, it has been a moving day for everyone who has been tuning in. especially for the people who have been there. talk to me about what you've heard and seen today. reporter: that's right. it has really been an emotional day. you just heard people speak here. 500 guests came t to the ceremony the closestst famy members george floyd, a as well as friends,s, politiciansns, civil rights activists. it was a fairly b big eventith, of couourse, a sad atmosphere. but at the same timime george floyd' f family w wanted to m m sure that today the life of george floyd would b b celebrated and in thehe traditi of thehe africanan-american chu that w was done with lotss of cheeeerful gospell music, so th was a hopeful and positive

aspect to thiss too. a lot of people also put their hopes in the death of george floyd, that this would b bring change to racial inequalitity i the united states. and around the world. we heard strong speececs of -- a video message by joe biden, the likely dememocratic c candi for the presidencncy. very empatic messagege and congreress people like al green. he said thahat nowow the next s have to be taken,ombating racismsm and racacial inenequal and i had the opporortunity to speak to him earlier. lelet's listen in. >> we need reconciliation in this country. in germany, we've had reconciliation to a great extent. you d don't see signs recognizi hitler. . you don't see statues. in this country, we still have confederate statues up. well, if we have a reconcnciliation department in the cabinet of f the uniteted ststates of america, withh a secretarial reconciciliation wh reports directly to the

president, whose job it is to eliminate racism and invidious scrimmage, who reports to the congress on a semiannual basis and r reports how well he's doi his job, what progress are we making? this is what we're going to need for the long run so we can take care of the problems not only today, but into the distant future. brent: those are strong words coming from al green. particularly making a comparison with post-nazi germany and the united states today. with its post- or trying to be post-jim crow, post-slavery future. oliver, george floyd fits into this. he's become an icon for people in the united states. but also here in europe, when they are calling for an end to racism and police brutality. what do we know about the manthaha is being bururied toda -- a about the manan that is be burieded today? reporter: one former classmatet calllled him a g gentle giant.. and hisis family members simply refer to him as thee big floyd.

that's how they called himim. and he was a talll guyuy, an athlete in fact. he played baskeketball and football, grew up here i in humble conditions, in a popo neighborhood, a suburb of southwestern houston, in the southwesternrn area here. many people, thousands that came on monday to bidid farewel toto george floyd, in the publi viewing said he could have been our neighbor. they see him as one of their own. he's, of course,, someone t tha hadd his ups a and d downs i in life, as many people do he did some college, thenen later beca a blulu colollar worker, if you will, truruck drive later a security guard. and h his death then aftete hav moved to minneapapolis, thatt causeded so manyy protetests ar the world, is what many y put theirr hopes in righght now. brent: lots of people with lots of hopes. and one man who has lost his life.

oliver, thank you. there have been anti-racism protests here in germany as a result of george floyd's death. coincidentally the federal anti-discrimination agency in germany has just published its annual report. it indicates that there is an ongoing racism problem here and what's more, it says the problem is getting worse. reporter: germany is slowly waking up to the issue of discrimination but a number of cases is on the rise. there were 3,580 reported cases of discrimination in 2019. there shouldn't be any gaps in protection in the long term, and this is an important and right move that berlin is the first state to have passed an anti-discrimination law. and other states should follow through shortly. the country's latest report

looks at discrimination based on gender, disability, age, religion, sexual identity, and world view. but the largest issue remains racial discrimination. most of the cases in 2019, 33%, were classified as racist discrimination. 1,176 reported cases last year, more than double compared to four years ago. in the report, some participants cited their experiences. >> two colleagues from a anothe department apppproached me laughing and asked m me if i worked at ththe company to make coffee. i'm a civil engineer f from sysyria. a kid at school insulteted my brother becacause he's got dark skin. ththen he hit him. the teacher saw everything but did nothing. reporter: those are not isolated cases. in germany, racism isn't't real addressed, there's a very limited understanding of it. and it's limited to political righghts, there's no

ununderstandingg that systetemi racism is present at all levels of society and this debate must take place because racism kills our institutions. the report comes at a time when a new awareness towards everyday discrimination is raced, following protests denouncing police violence to its people of color all over the world. brent: these -- the death of george floyd has people here talking and thinking. people here in germany are re-examining their attitudes toward racism. later this month, for the first time, a nationwide survey will ask black people about the discrimination that they say they have experienced here. reporter: this is one of about a million black people in germany. but nobody knows that for sure as there are no official figures. she grew up in -- as the daughter of sudanese exchange students after the fall of the

berlin wall. life in east germany in the 1990's was difficult for black people. many of them felt left alone. when a right wing mob circles around you at a fair and there's a policeman standing around who just lets it happen, as 15 people shout the n word at you. memories like this often make you doubt whether you're really welcome in this country. that's why the organizations each one, teach one, and citizens of europe are conducting a survey. the afro census. the first one on black people's lives in germany. daniel hopes it will fill the gaps. >> unfortunately there's been far too little research in recent decades on the situation of black people and on anti-black racism in germany. that explains why politicians keep asking us, well, what's the problem? are there blacks here at all? they find it difficult to talk about black people.

that's why we've decided to take matters in our own hands. reporter: she's from france and works as a teacher in berlin and is upset at the lack of sensitivity, even among some well-meaning white people. >> my class and i prepared a song. the kids were super, super motivated. they were doing well. and then they got stage fright. the principal of the school turned around to the whole assembly and stated, i just love black music, don't you? and you're like -- hm. interesting. but the real problem and the real question, is how can they know if there are no members, if there are no recording and no one talking about it? reporter: the afro census wants to facilitate precisely this discussion and better capture everyday racism in germen society. but it also has another effect. >>ality matly it's also

empowering for those who are black and i think that's great. reporter: there's never been a survie like the afro census before. germany's reluctant to collect statistics on citizens, according to ethnic criteria. >> there's always a reluctance to ask communities about their situation, whether they're discriminated against. people are afraid that this kind of research will create these communities, but we are here. we are part of this society. we won't be denied the right to exist and we can all speak about black people, african pepeople, calmly, without being afraid of it. reporter: it's hoped it could be a step toward change. brent: the death of george floyd has resonated in kenya, where police brutality is not seen as a problem in america, but rather as a problem at home. since a night curfew was put in place as part of the coronavirus krys, there has been a -- crisis, there has been a spike in killings at

police hands in kenya. kenya's independent policing authority says it is investigating 15 cases that have taken place since mid march. we have this report. ♪ [singing] reporter: the people who have come here today are activists and family members of people who have died at the hands of police. they've come here today to bring a petition to their local m.p. and ask him to discuss it in parliament. >> during the covid situation alone, we have seen a situation. a 13-year-old boy who was a kcpe student, who would have sat for his exams later this year, shot from the balcony of his parents' house by a reckless police officer. that is something that is unacceptable. >> down with police brutality down!

down, down with police brutality, down! reporter: the people here have taken a leaf out of the u.s. protest, but just like in the u.s., it's something that's been happening for a long time and there have been smaller protests happening in different parts of town. >> we are all human beings first. we feel united in solidarity. and those killings that are happening over there in the u.s. are the same ones that are happening here. we connect through demonstrations today. all of us who have been feaked by the police killing the youths -- affected by the police killing the youths. brent: here are some of the other stories making headlines around the world. burundi's outgoing president has died of a heart attack at the age of 56. his death comes just weeks before he was due to step down after 15 years marked by deadly political violence. and an historic withdrawal from the international criminal court. iran's judiciary says sentenced to death an iranian man who provided information to the

united states and israel about the location of revolutionary guards commander sole manny. general soleimani was killed in a u.s. drone strike in iraq back in january. hong kong is marking a year since the outbreak of pro-democracy demonstrations. last june more than a million people marched through the city to protest against a draft law that would allow extraditions to mainland china. that triggered months of sometimes violent street protests. protesters around and in the city today to mark the anniversary. earlier demonstrators held flash mob protests in shoppinin malls, waving placards andnd banners, calling foror hong kong's liberation from china. that is a new development. although the original extradition bill was withdrawn, a new national security law has many young hong kongers deeply worried about beijing's heavy-handed reaction to their dissent.

reporter: it's thought more than a million people took to the streets last year, united inin their outrage. specificallyly, theyy came out protest a draft law allowing beijing to extradite criminal suspects to mainland china. but many were also there as part of the larger push to protect hong kong's semiautonomous status. the bill was eventually withdrawn, but protests continued. sometimes turning violent. many protesters still fear persecution today. and don't want to be recognized. back in august, i really feared nothing. even when i stood alone at the front against a squad of riot police, i wasn't afraid. but since then, almost 9,000 people have been arrested in relation to froasts. authorities say -- protests authorities say. more than 600 were charged rioting. and now b beijing is preparing show of force. communist leaders have launched a so-called security law which will become part of hong kong's

basic law. this will allow beijing to deploy its own security forces there. on tuesday, hong kong's leader seemed to be an ally of beijing, urged the people of the special administrative region to get behind the n new law. >> everyone needs to learn a lesson.. including the hong kong government and also the legislators. hong kong cannot afford such chaos. hong kong people want s stabili and peace so t they can live safely and develop their careers. however, prominent pro-democracy protester joshua wong says hong kongers want more than that. he also points to the reversal of the extradition bill as a clear sign that protesting works. >> we recognize the remarkable achievement by fellow protesters to h has beijing

wiwithdraw the controversial bill. lastst november,r, 85% of the s in the councicil were by pro-o-democratic.. this victory -- [indiscernible] -- stand with -- on ththe side fellow proteteers. reporter: butegardless of that success, protests on this scale could soon be a t tng of the p past. if beijing gets i its way with theew securitit b bl, dissenngng voice couould soon b muchorore fewnd far between. brent: north korea has cut all communications with south korea, including a military hotline between the two countries. pyongyang says that it's in response to sowell's failure to stop activists from sending leaflets critical of the regime over the border. reporter: north korean state television announces the cocountry's decicision to cut o

all communication lines with south korea. on tuesday morning, the south defense ministry confirmed officials in pyongyang hadn't answered a routine call to the liaison o office, nor calls on military hot lines. the escalation and tensions comes after anger in the north at the south's failure to stop activists from floating balloons filled with anti-pyongyang leaflets across the border. on monday, students held a rally in the north's capital prorks testing against the leaflets and --, protesting against the leaflets and those who had defected to the south. pyongyang has c cut communications with seoul before but this is the first time since 2018.

some analysts believe this is an opportunity for north korea's leader, kim jong un, to further escalate tensions between the two sides, including across the demilitarizezed zone. >> i would p pbably expect some exchchange of fire onon the d.m. maybe some kind of rather dramatic actions of all possible kinds.. well, this is north korean policy. reporter: china says it hopes relations between the two sides will be restored quickly. but for now, the north's leader has reminded the world he's still a force to be reckonned with. brent: you're watching d.w. news. we want to take you back now to houston, texas, for these live images coming from the funeral of george floyd. we'll leave you with that and after a short break, i'll be back to take you through the day. here, now, houston, texas, and

the funeral of george floyd. ♪ ♪ >> these exits are for everyone except for the family. if you are exiting the building, we're going to ask you that respectfully exit through the side doors that are here at the front. the family is going through the center aisle. please do not crowd the family any further. please exit through the side doors here. i don't see nobody moving this

way. i need people to move this way. i need to you move that way. towards the front. amen. we'll keep order in place. amen.. thank you, lord. thank you. yes, yes. there we go. yes. and you can come around through the front if you want to catch up with someone there. through the lobby, please exit. thank you. ♪

♪ ♪

♪ my world needs you right now show me your face fill up ththis space my world needs you right now my world needs you right now i can't escape

being afraid fill me with you right now my world needs you right now power fall down bring with it a sound that points us to you right now no substitutes right now fix what i see and god please fix me my world needs you right now let us see you right now show me your face fill up this space

my world needs you right now my world needs you right now nobody like you that's where the power is you have all of the authority only y you are the great i amam you're the king of kings ♪ ♪ the funeral

service of george floyd is taking place in houston he died after police office and dealt on his neck on may the twenty fifth almost nine minutes. since then they've been black lives matter p protests worldwie calling for change. burundi's controversial presidents has died on currencies that died of a heart attack. is to stand down in august a week of national mourning has been announced. india's locked down after the first twenty four hours old well but they're still large areas. that are basically clolosed g.e