NAACP Providing George Floyd Protesters Face Masks, Coping Mechanisms

The George Floyd killing is sparking massive protests in Minneapolis, and the local NAACP is helping protesters ... by distributing face masks and tips for coping with the danger.

The Minneapolis NAACP plans to help protesters in the city by not only providing face coverings so they can stay safe in the age of COVID-19 but also by teaching techniques on meditation and deep breathing to help relax and cope with Floyd's death ... Leslie Redmond, president of the Minneapolis NAACP tells TMZ.

Leslie says folks in Minneapolis are so upset by Floyd's killing, there is no end in sight to the protests ... so the NAACP is stepping up with face masks, which will come in handy in the face of a respiratory pandemic posing danger to large gatherings.

As for those coping mechanisms ... the Minneapolis NAACP is holding health and wellness Facebook Live sessions aimed at young people, where they can learn to meditate and breathe deeper to relieve stress.

The deep breathing lessons are a case of tragic irony ... Floyd's slow death came at the hands of a cop kneeling on his carotid artery, while witnesses filmed and George told the officer he couldn't breathe.

As we reported ... the protests and riots in Minneapolis have seen violence and looting.

The Minneapolis NAACP says the riots are a byproduct of years of neglect from the city and businesses, coupled with the pandemic.

Leslie says folks in Minny are starving, literally and figuratively, and Floyd's killing is the straw that broke the camels back. She says the NAACP has been trying to sound the alarm for years that something like this could happen, and while she's sad it's descended to this point, she's not surprised.

Redmond says the NAACP looks at the riots and protests "as an uprising of oppressed and hurt people" ... and she says the solution is simple -- police need to stop killing black people.

The NAACP is hoping folks take their messaging to heart ... Leslie says a lot of the protesters in the streets are kids who don't mean harm, and they're just frustrated and need someone to provide guidance.