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George Floyd Square occupied protest

This article is about the civil conflict. For the commemorative street, see George Floyd Square.
George Floyd Square
occupied protest
Part of George Floyd protests in Minneapolis–Saint Paul
George Floyd Square, June 2020
DateOccupation: May 26, 2020 – June 20, 2021
(1 year, 3 weeks and 4 days)
Protest activity: May 26, 2020 – present
Location
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

44°56′03″N 93°15′45″W / 44.9343°N 93.2624°W / 44.9343; -93.2624
Caused by
GoalsList of 24 demands[1]
Methods
StatusVehicular traffic resumed through the street intersection on June 20, 2021,[4] but by mid-2023 the square area remained a gathering place for protest.[5]
Parties
Meet on the Streets[6]
City of Minneapolis
Casualties
Death(s)7 by gunfire
1 by drug overdose
Map
The center of the protest zone in Minneapolis.

As a reaction to the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, racial justice activists and some residents of the Powderhorn community in Minneapolis staged an occupation protest at the intersection of East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue with a blockade of the streetway lasting over a year.[7][8][9] The intersection is where Derek Chauvin, a white police officer with the Minneapolis Police Department, murdered George Floyd, an unarmed 46-year-old Black man.[10] Activists erected barricades to block vehicular traffic and transformed the intersection and surrounding structures with amenities, social services, and public art depicting Floyd and other racial justice themes.[2][4][9] The community called the unofficial memorial and protest zone at the intersection "George Floyd Square". The controversial[11] street occupation in 2020 and 2021 was described as an "autonomous zone" and a "no-go" place for police,[12] but local officials disputed the extent of such characterizations.[13][14]

Local unrest in Minneapolis–Saint Paul immediately after Floyd's murder was the second-most destructive to property in U.S. history, after the 1992 Los Angeles riots,[15] but peaceful protest gatherings at the intersection in late May 2020 were free of the property destruction, arson, and looting that characterized other local demonstrations.[16][17] The intersection became a place of pilgrimage for people protesting Floyd's murder and other forms of racial injustice.[18] But in the weeks and months after Floyd's murder, the neighborhood surrounding the square, which had previously had a reputation for gang activity, continued to have elevated levels of violent crime and regular gunfire incidents.[18] By August 14, 2022, seven people had been killed by gun violence at or around the square since Floyd's murder,[19][1][20][21][22][23][24] and one person had died there as the result of a drug overdose.[25]

The City of Minneapolis began long-term planning in late 2020 for preservation of public art installments at the square.[7] By March 2021, debate about how to open the intersection persisted as the trial of Derek Chauvin commenced, with some residents expressing support for removing the barricades and others preferring that the occupation continue until community demands were met.[26] After a guilty verdict was reached in the trial on April 20, 2021, organizers of the occupation of the intersection said they would continue to protest and hold the square until their demands were met, which included awaiting the trial outcome for the other three police officers at the scene of Floyd's murder.[27][28] City crews removed cement barricades at the intersection on June 3, 2021, as part of a phased reopening process[14] and vehicular traffic partially resumed on June 20.[4][9]

The activist movement at George Floyd Square persisted into 2023 as the area continued to function as a gathering place for protest.[29][5]

  1. ^ a b Ibrahim, Mohamed (March 5, 2021). "Officer's trial could reopen intersection where Floyd died". Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Burks, Megan; Nguyen, Christine T.; Frost, Evan (November 25, 2020). "The call for justice at 38th and Chicago persists". Minnesota Public Radio. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference :46 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Goyette, Jared (May 25, 2023). "George Floyd Square's caretaker looks back on his murder three years later". KMSP-TV. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :57 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b "38th Street and Chicago Avenue". City of Minneapolis. November 12, 2020. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  8. ^ Sandberg, Diane; Edwards, Kiya (August 17, 2020). "Talks continue on reopening 38th and Chicago in Mpls". KARE 11. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  9. ^ a b c "George Floyd Square, Uptown Intersection Reopen To Traffic". WCCO-TV. June 20, 2021. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  10. ^ Hill, Evan; Tiefenthäler, Ainara; Triebert, Christiaan; Jordan, Drew; Willis, Haley; Stein, Robin (June 1, 2020). "How George Floyd Was Killed in Police Custody". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 5, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference :31 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Winter, Deena (July 21, 2021). "Quietly, gradually, George Floyd Square is open to traffic for the first time since his murder". Minnesota Reformer. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference :58 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :45 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Meitrodt, Jeffrey (14 June 2020). "For riot-damaged Twin Cities businesses, rebuilding begins with donations, pressure on government". Star Tribune. Retrieved on 14 June 2020.
  16. ^ "Peaceful protest continues at site of George Floyd's death at 38th and Chicago in Minneapolis". FOX 9. June 2, 2020. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  17. ^ Devine, Jacqueline (May 29, 2020). "Hundreds of mourners pay tribute to George Floyd in Minneapolis". Las Cruces Sun-News. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  18. ^ a b Libor, Jany (November 12, 2020). "Investigation into suspected gun dealer highlights plague of violence near site of George Floyd's death". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  19. ^ Du, Susan (May 25, 2021). "The Cossroads of Minneapolis". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on May 24, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  20. ^ Staff (August 6, 2020). "Minneapolis Police: Infant Dies One Month After Pregnant Woman Is Fatally Shot; Father Charged In Both Deaths". WCCO-TV. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  21. ^ Cite error: The named reference :13 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  22. ^ Cite error: The named reference :51 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  23. ^ Wermus, Katie (August 7, 2022). "Minneapolis police investigating fatal shooting near George Floyd Square". KMSP-TV. Archived from the original on August 7, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  24. ^ "One dead, another injured in shooting near George Floyd Square in Minneapolis". Star Tribune. August 14, 2022. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  25. ^ Blume, Paul (June 23, 2022). "Questions remain after federal authorities dismiss charges in 'carjacking' case". KMSP-TV. Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  26. ^ Cite error: The named reference :27 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  27. ^ Ismail, Aymann (April 21, 2021). "A Few Feet From Where George Floyd Died, the Verdict Hit Different". Slate. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  28. ^ Washington, Jesse (April 19, 2021). "At George Floyd Square, the work continues regardless of a verdict". Andscape. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  29. ^ Pan, H. Jiahong (January 5, 2023). "New year, new George Floyd Square?". Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.

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