Tag: Minneapolis

Minneapolis Greek Festival Cancels Due to ‘Unrest’

Hayley Feland
Minneapolis Greek Festival - Taste of Greece

The Minneapolis Greek Festival, Taste of Greece, canceled their 2021 festival because of recent unrest in Uptown. Organizers cited the safety and security of festival-goers as a primary reason for cancellation. A statement from the festival’s website reads that they felt they would be “unable to find a successful solution to ensure the safety and security” of all those participating in the festival. The festival was supposed to take place September 9 through September 11.

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Police Investigating Alleged Beheading in Minneapolis Suburb

Admin

A person was allegedly beheaded in Shakopee, a Minneapolis suburb, on Wednesday afternoon, video and pictures from the scene seem to confirm.

Alpha News reviewed the videos and pictures but has decided not to publish them due to their extremely graphic nature.

The victim and suspect were in “some type of relationship,” sources told Fox 9. The murder took place in broad daylight, shortly before 3 p.m., near the intersection of 4th Avenue and Spencer Street.

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Peace Activist and Grandfather of Young Girl Shot Says He Is Leaving Minneapolis

Hayley Feland
K.G. Wilson

A local peace activist and the grandfather of Aniya Allen, a young girl who was shot and killed in Minneapolis, says he is leaving the city. K.G. Wilson, who has been helping to combat crime on the streets of Minneapolis for almost two decades, says he is done. Wilson told FOX 9, “I’m done. I’m through, and today right here I’m announcing my retirement. I am done as an active peace activist in Minneapolis; this is my end right here so today I say goodbye to Minneapolis.”

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Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Says State Had Record Number of Murders in 2020

Hayley Feland

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension released their annual report on Tuesday, showing that Minnesota had a record number of murders in 2020. According to Bring Me The News, the report “shows there were 186 murders in Minnesota in 2020, a 58.1% increase compared to 2019, and 2020 marked the most murders in the report’s history, exceeding the previous record of 183 murders in 1995.” Of the 186 murders, 82 were from Minneapolis and 32 were from St. Paul. The number of murders look on track to be even higher in 2021, as Minneapolis alone has already seen 50 murders so far.

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Former Minneapolis Police Officer Starts Nonprofit to Combat PTSD

Hayley Feland
minneapolis police department

A former Minneapolis police officer started a nonprofit with the goal of helping fellow officers to overcome PTSD. Former Officer Chris Steward served the Minneapolis Police Department for over 14 years. Steward said, “This was my opportunity to serve the community that I loved and respected. I love my profession. I loved the people I served. I loved the people I worked with.”

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Foundation Run by George Soros Is Helping Fund ‘Yes 4 Minneapolis’ to Replace Police

Hayley Feland
George Soros

A foundation that is run by George Soros is helping to fund the Yes 4 Minneapolis initiative which is seeking to replace the Minneapolis Police Department. An arm of George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, the Open Society Policy Center, donated $500,000 to Yes 4 Minneapolis. The Star Tribune reported that, “On Nov. 5, the executive director of Local Progress e-mailed Council President Lisa Bender, introducing her to Gretchen Rohr, who was leading a team at the Open Society Foundations working on justice-related programs in Minneapolis.” Local Progress, a national group that’s goal is to help progressive politicians share their ideas, is also funded in part by George Soros’ organization.

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Minneapolis City Council Frustrated over Slow Review of 2020 Unrest Response

Hayley Feland
Minneapolis Police Department

The Minneapolis City Council is frustrated over the slow review of the city’s response to the unrest in 2020. Minneapolis was plagued by riots as well as peaceful protests after the death of Goerge Floyd on May 25, 2020. Due to the massive amounts of damage and the repercussions of the violence, the city contracted a third party consulting group to assess the city’s response to the situation. As reported on FOX 9, “A final report and its recommendations aren’t due until January of next year but some city council members say that’s too long to wait.”

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Minneapolis City Council Moving Forward with Replacing Police

Hayley Feland
minneapolis police department

The Minneapolis City Council made steps to move forward with an amendment which could potentially replace the Minneapolis Police Department. According to FOX 9, “under the plan, the police department would be replaced in the charter with a public safety department but doesn’t outline how the department will work or be structured.” The amendment that passed the policy and government oversight committee was put together by a local community advocacy group called Yes 4 Minneapolis Committee.

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Minneapolis Restaurant Burned Down in 2020 Summer Riots, Now It Has Its Delivery Van Stolen in 2021

Hayley Feland
Curry In A Hurry

A Minneapolis restaurant burned to the ground during the riots in May 2020 and now the owner’s delivery van was stolen. Ruhel Islam, a Bangladeshi immigrant, was the owner of Gandhi Mahal, a restaurant that burned down in 2020. Islam got attention after he took to social media saying “let my building burn. Justice needs to be served.” A Go Fund Me was started and raised over $125,000 for Islam to rebuild. The fundraising site reads, “Thanks for your outpouring of support. And for continuing to demand justice for George Floyd.”

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Minneapolis Residents Voice Concerns After 50th Homicide of 2021

Hayley Feland

Minneapolis residents spoke about their concerns regarding the rising violence in Minneapolis after the 50th homicide of 2021. As was reported on WCCO, Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arrandondo and Hennepin County Sheriff Dave Hutchinson held a community conversation where they heard the concerns of the citizens of Minneapolis.

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Twin Cities Pride Asking Minneapolis to Remove Requirement for Police at Large Events

Hayley Feland
Twin Cities Pride

The organization Twin Cities Pride is asking the city of Minneapolis to remove the requirement that large events be staffed with police officers. In a statement on the Twin Cities Pride website, it said it has “joined the chorus of community voices to strongly call on the City of Minneapolis to suspend the current requirement for event planners and organizers to contract with off-duty Minneapolis Police Department officers for security at large events.” 

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Minneapolis Has Experienced One of the Largest Homicide Increases in the Nation, Study Finds

Minnesota Sun Staff

A new study found that Minneapolis experienced the fifth-highest increase in homicides in the nation between 2019 to 2021.

The overall rankings were based on both a city’s current homicide rate and the change in its number of homicides across the last two years. Minneapolis landed in the 11th position overall, behind cities like New Orleans, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Detroit, according to the WalletHub survey.

From the second quarter of 2019 to the second quarter of 2021, the city of lakes saw the fifth-highest increase in per capita homicides in the nation. In this time, Minneapolis endured the death of George Floyd, unprecedented levels of rioting, mass unemployment caused by COVID-19 lockdowns, and a political assault on its police department.

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Uptown Minneapolis Dumpster Fire Causes $70K in Damages to Restaurant

Hayley Feland

A man set fire to a dumpster behind Stella’s Fish Cafe, in Minneapolis, which led to tens of thousands of dollars in damage. According to Bring Me the News, “security footage shows two men going into the alley area by Stella’s dumpsters around 3:04 a.m. on July 6. One man… was wearing a bulletproof vest.”

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Protests and Riots Erupt in Uptown Minneapolis After Removal of ‘Peace Garden’

Hayley Feland
Winston Smith Memorial Garden clearing

On Wednesday night, riots and protests erupted again after the city of Minneapolis and 7 Points Uptown decided to remove the “peace garden” where a memorial for Winston Smith was located. The garden, also known as Boogie World, was a second autonomous zone established in Minneapolis after a wanted man, Winston Smith, was shot and killed by U.S. Marshals on June 3.

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Chauvin Judge Will Not Change Memo, Despite Prosecutor Demands

Hayley Feland

Judge Peter Cahill announced that he will not change the memo regarding former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s trial. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has requested that Cahill change the memo to reflect the supposed trauma that the young girls experienced. As was reported on FOX 9, Judge Cahill has declined Ellison’s request to change the wording of the memo.

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Minneapolis City Council Proposes Bringing Back Single Room Occupancy to Combat Homelessness

Hayley Feland

The Minneapolis City Council has proposed bringing back a model called Single Room Occupancy (SRO) in order to combat homelessness and provide more affordable housing options. Minneapolis City Council Members Cam Gordon, Lisa Goodman and Jeremy Schroeder are putting together an ordinance to make it easier to have Single Room Occupancy buildings in Minneapolis.

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Three Year Old Shot in Minneapolis

Hayley Feland
Police line do not cross tape

A three year old was shot in Minneapolis over the weekend. In video footage obtained from a security camera, dozens of shots were being fired in a Minneapolis neighborhood, ending in a three year old child being hit in the leg. Due to the volume of blood he was losing it was obvious that his injuries were very serious. In order to save the child’s life, Minneapolis police officers applied a tourniquet and drove him to the hospital themselves.

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Violence Continues in Uptown Minneapolis, Nightly Destruction

Hayley Feland
Minneapolis Police armed at riot in the city

The violence in Uptown has continued almost every night since early June, with limited police intervention. A video from Wednesday evening shows a driver doing donuts in the middle of the street as a passenger shoots a gun into the air. The shots were fired by the “peace garden,” the new name for the area protesters gather at where Winston Smith was killed.

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More Human Remains Found in Minneapolis

Hayley Feland
Stone Arch Bridge

More human remains have been discovered in Minneapolis, this time near the Stone Arch Bridge. Crime Watch Minneapolis posted that, “Reportedly a major body part found.” Dismembered human remains were also discovered in mid-June by officials in several locations. According to reports, the head of the person was discovered on a park bench, after different human body parts were found scattered around Minneapolis all supposedly belonging to the same person.

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Minneapolis Contracts Year-Old Mental Health Group to Replace Police

Hayley Feland

The city of Minneapolis has agreed to a contract with a mental health group that has only existed for one year, according to screenshots obtained from city websites. This group, Canopy Mental Health & Consulting, will be assisting with the city’s plan to replace and restructure the police. They are contracted to pay the group $6 million to provide 24/7 mental health services in “crisis response teams” for the next two years. According to WCCO, there is an option to extend the services for a third year if the cost does not exceed $3 million.

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Dumpster Full of Books Found Outside Minneapolis Elementary School

Hayley Feland

A dumpster full of old books was found outside a Minneapolis Elementary School. A neighbor discovered the dumpster outside of Bryn Mawr while on a walk. According to Bring Me the News, the school went through it’s books to get rid of ones that were damaged or “the inclusion of content that isn’t culturally or historically accurate.”

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Audit of Minneapolis Police Department Reveals Areas Needing Reform

Hayley Feland

A recent audit of the Minneapolis police department shared areas in need of reform. Minneapolis city officials and Minneapolis Police leaders made up the audit committee and they presented the findings this week. City Council Member Linea Palmisano said, “Today’s report offers a path forward for ensuring influential Field Training Officer roles are staffed by officers who embody core community values.” She went on to say that the findings of the report and the resulting action will work to create “meaningful change.”

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Black Lives Matter Activists Forced Minneapolis City Council Member to Sign a Statement Dropping Charges Against Alleged Rioters

Hayley Feland

On Sunday, during the Taking Back Pride March, Black Lives Matter activists blocked Minneapolis City Council Member Andrea Jenkins’ vehicle in the street. The activists can be seen screaming at Jenkins and the other white woman with her. It was reported that she spent over two hours stuck in her car surrounded by the activists.

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Minneapolis Black Owned Juice Bar Broken in to for Second Time Since Opening in May

Hayley Feland
The Dripping Root

A Black owned juice bar in Minneapolis has been the target of crime ever since they opened in late May. “Day 5 of being open the juice bar was broken into,” Catiesha Pierson, the owner of The Dripping Root, wrote after the latest burglary. “Day 12 I got a hateful letter in the mail. Day 15 of being open the juice bar was broken into again & really I am just trying to keep it all together.”

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Minneapolis Opens ‘Parklet’ at George Floyd Square

Hayley Feland

Minneapolis installed a mini park at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago, the location of George Floyd Square where George Floyd was killed by former police officer Derek Chauvin. According to the city, the seasonal spaces, or parklets, are designed to slow nearby traffic and to provide an area for seating, flowers and greenery, bicycle parking, and art for the public to enjoy.

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Rising Crime Forces Liberals to Reckon with Their Stance on the Police

Minnesota Sun Staff

by Ailan Evans   As rates of violent crime continue to rise across the country and once-safe neighborhoods face increased dangers, many liberal communities are having to confront their complicated relationship with the police. Following the killing of George Floyd in May 2020, the defund the police movement attracted attention and support…

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Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison Says Chauvin Sentencing ‘Not Justice’

Hayley Feland

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a press conference that, “Today’s sentencing is not justice, but it is another moment of real accountability on the road to justice.” Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced on Friday to 22.5 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd. Chauvin was found guilty for the murder George Floyd on all counts in his trial that took place in April.

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Local Minnesota Restaurant Adding ‘Equity’ Charge to Customer’s Bills

Hayley Feland

A Minneapolis restaurant, Broders Pasta Bar, is now adding an ‘equity’ charge to all checks. Broders official statement regarding the new charge says that, “Studies have also shown that there is inequity and built-in bias in the way consumers give tips. In general, Black or Brown servers receive less tips than Caucasian servers. There is gender bias as well.”

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Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender Unhappy That City Removed Graffiti in Uptown

Hayley Feland

After city employees went to clean graffiti off the streets of Minneapolis, City Council President Lisa Bender allegedly stopped the process. When Bender first heard about the clean-up work being done, she wrote that she assumed the city employees, “were talked into this [cleaning up the graffiti] by the business association.”

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George Floyd Square Still Occupied and Seemingly Supported by Attorney General Keith Ellison

Hayley Feland
George Floyd Square

In a TikTok video dating May 8, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison appears to be registering voters with the “gatekeeper” of George Floyd Square, Marcia Howard. In the video, Howard says that she is there protesting for the “24 Demands,” while Ellison nods and smiles along.

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Black Man Who Cleaned Up Graffiti in Minneapolis Harassed by Protesters

Hayley Feland

A black man, Marvin Applewhite, was trying to clean up streets in Uptown Minneapolis when he was chased away by protesters. Applewhite, a Minneapolis local, started an effort to organize youth to clean up the city of Minneapolis to give youth jobs and opportunities. Applewhite continued this in the aftermath of protesting and rioting in Minneapolis. This summer Applewhite and his team of youth and other concerned residents have gone out each morning and clean up the graffiti from the night before. In raw footage of the incident, a woman can be seen screaming, “We are doing this for your people, man.”

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Various Body Parts Found Scattered Around Minneapolis

Hayley Feland

A citizen walking down a street in Minneapolis stumbled across a human leg, wrapped in plastic, behind the Ukrainian American Community Center. This prompted an investigation where other human body parts were found in various parts of Minneapolis. Another Minneapolis resident found human remains in his neighbor’s driveway. The police have not disclosed what other body parts have been found, other than that the injuries would be fatal.

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Mayor Jacob Frey Criticized for Spending Over $350,000 to Clear George Floyd Autonomous Zone

Hayley Feland
George Floyd Square

The Minneapolis City Council pushed back against Mayor Jacob Frey’s decision to allocate $359 thousand of the city’s COVID-19 procurement order to the Agape Movement to assist in clearing the George Floyd Autonomous Zone in Minneapolis.

In the June 17 City Council meeting, Ward 3 Council Member Steve Fletcher said, “I think it is a scandal. This is a misuse of the COVID-19 authorization. It is not appropriate as a COVID-19 expenditure, and it is something that should have come through council.”

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Minneapolis Residents to Call 311 Instead of 911 for Property Damage and Theft

Hayley Feland

Instead of calling 911 to report crime, Minneapolis residents are now being told to call 311 if the crime is not currently in progress or if it is non-violent. The 311 line is staffed by civilian city workers who will take complaints and file reports instead of having Minneapolis police officers dispatched. Some residents have reported up to a 30 minute wait time on the 311 line.

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Businesses Close in Minneapolis Because of ‘Safety Concerns’

Hayley Feland

Many businesses have been impacted by the increasing rates of violence in Minneapolis. One, a salon that has been located in Uptown Minneapolis, announced their decision Monday to permanently close their location that has been open for over 35 years. The owner and founder of the salon, Juut, said in a Facebook post that they “decided to close due to the continued escalation of crime and violence in our neighborhood.”

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Minneapolis Mayor Holds Press Conference on Uptown No Go Zone

Hayley Feland

  In a press conference on Tuesday afternoon to address the new autonomous zone in Uptown Minneapolis, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said that they want to advance racial justice but that they need to “acknowledge that the atmosphere has substantially changed.” The second Minneapolis No Go Zone was established after…

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Second Minneapolis No Go Zone Established in Uptown Called ‘Boogie World’

Hayley Feland

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Minneapolis has a second No Go Zone, despite efforts from law enforcement and city officials to remove barricades blocking an intersection in Uptown Minneapolis at Lake Street and Girard Avenue. This is the second autonomous zone in Minneapolis. The other is located at the place of George Floyd’s death, which is still occupied by protesters despite the city’s efforts to clear and reopen the area.

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One Dead After Car Hits Minneapolis Protestors

Peter D'Abrosca
Minneapolis Police Department

One person is dead and three injured after a car ran over a group of protestors in Minneapolis Sunday night. 

“One person was taken into custody late Sunday night after driving a vehicle into a group of protesters gathered at West Lake Street and Girard Avenue South in Uptown,” according to WCCO. “Minneapolis Police said through a news release that police officers monitoring the protest on camera witnessed an eastbound vehicle drive into the a group of protesters at 11:39 p.m.”

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Rep. Ilhan Omar Demands Further Investigation of Minnesota Police Forces

Hayley Feland

Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) wrote a letter to the United States Attorney General Merrick Garland, asking him to expand the DOJ investigation into Minnesota Police Departments.

The investigation was initially requested for the Minneapolis police force after the death of George Floyd in May 2020, but Omar wants the investigation to cover “Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), Minnesota State Patrol (SP), Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), the Brooklyn Center Police Department (BCPD), the Richfield Police Department (RPD), the Edina Police Department (EPD) and the St. Anthony Police Department (SAPD).”

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Minneapolis DFL Accused of Discriminating in Online Caucus System

Hayley Feland

The Minneapolis Democrat Farmer Laborer (DFL) Party moved their caucus process online and are now being accused of discrimination. Three DFL leaders, DFL Party activist Ken Vreeland, and former Minneapolis Council members Tony Scallon and Lisa MacDonald, have come out in opposition to the online system, saying that it prohibits people who don’t have the resources to access the online system from participating.

They say that the online system has led to the “disenfranchisement of thousands of voters, fraudulent registrations, and preferential treatment of campaigns.” According to Vreeland, MacDonald, and Scallon it disproportionately affects minorities and the elderly, because of a lack of resources to access the online caucus. Scallon also said that “the party’s request for voters’ ages amounts to discrimination.” According to the Star Tribune, Scallon said that “They [caucus participants] thought they were done when they got done registering. We’ve never had a required verification before and so a lot of people have been denied and they did not get to be delegates. It’s just really a mess.”

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Brother of Wanted Man Shot by Minneapolis Police Calls for Better Justice System: ‘We Should Fight Together’

Hayley Feland
Winston Smith protests

The brother of Winston Smith, a wanted man who was shot and killed in an officer involved shooting incident after he pulled a gun on police, has spoken out about the need for police. He feels his brother’s death was an injustice but wants to work together with police to improve the justice system. 

Winston Smith’s brother, Kidale Smith, was seen shaking hands and hugging police officers who were out on the streets monitoring the protests that had been taking place since his brother’s death. He reported that he felt like maybe the police officers needed a voice too.

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Minneapolis Fugitive Killed by Marshals Posed for Photo with BLM Lawyer Ben Crump

Peter D'Abrosca

Winston Smith, the man killed by U.S. Marshals in Minneapolis after he reportedly fired a weapon at them when they attempted to take him into custody over an outstanding state warrant, posed for a photo with high-profile civil rights attorney Ben Crump, apparently while he was a fugitive from justice. 

The photo was posted to Smith’s Instagram with the caption “#Greatness” on May 24. 

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Wanted Man Fatally Shot in Officer Involved Shooting in Minneapolis

Hayley Feland

A man, Winston Smith, 32 with multiple warrants out for his arrest was fatally shot on Thursday in Minneapolis after pulling out a handgun while being stopped by police. Riots broke out against police brutality again, due to the race of the man shot.

This instance took place while the city of Minneapolis was removing barriers at the monument that had been erected to honor George Floyd, the man killed by former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin last May. 

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The City of Minneapolis Begins Reopening George Floyd Square

Hayley Feland
George Floyd Square

According to Fox News, the City of Minneapolis began removing barriers and trying to reopen the intersection on Thursday, after over a year of the section of street being occupied by protesters. 

George Floyd Square, which has been occupied by protesters since the death of George Floyd in May 2020, was “a makeshift shrine and focus of protests” and “a semi-autonomous, pedestrian territory symbolizing community resistance.”

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