MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Barbed wire and concrete barriers surround the courthouse where the former Minneapolis police officer accused of the murder of George Floyd will soon face trial, a sign of the deep unease over a city literally on fire almost a year ago. is on fire. about his death.
Mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Tim Walz, both Democrats, were harshly criticized for not moving faster to stop last summer’s looting and destruction, including setting fire to a police station. Anything less than a murder conviction for Derek Chauvin will likely put them – and the city – to the test again.
The jury selection starts on March 8 with opening statements on March 29. Floyd, who was black, died on May 25 after Chauvin, who was white, pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck while handcuffed and begged that he couldn’t breathe. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughterThree other fired officers are on trial in August.
Thousands of people took to the streets of Minneapolis after Floyd’s death. Many demonstrated peacefully. But for several nights the unrest turned into violence, with shops looted and set on fire along Lake Street’s commercial artery, including the 3rd Precinct Police Station, home to the agents who arrested Floyd. The station itself was eventually abandoned by the police and set on fire by rioters. Some nervous neighborhoods formed guard groups, set up checkpoints and sometimes armed patrols. Violence finally subsided after National Guard troops arrived in sufficient numbers.
While the city moves to make the courthouse virtually impenetrable, some people are concerned about what could happen elsewhere if Chauvin is acquitted.
Elias Usso’s pharmacy on Lake Street had been open for less than a year when it was destroyed by fire and water. He personally blames Chauvin for what he considers “the murder of an innocent man” and the destruction that followed – estimated at more than $ 350 million in Minneapolis alone.
“A police officer did that,” Usso said. “Something has to change.”
His Seward pharmacy has reopened with help from donors. In between vaccinating customers against COVID-19, Usso – an Ethiopian immigrant and a black man – said he still felt the emotional turmoil about Floyd’s death and unrest, and that he was concerned about the process.
‘I don’t know what will happen to my company. We’re waiting to see, ”Usso said. “But I will continue to serve our neighbors and deliver prescriptions to grandma and grandpa. If something happens, we’ll continue. “
Frey said more than 3,000 state law enforcement officers and Minnesota National Guard soldiers will be standing by when the case goes to jury, expected in late April or early May.
Frey stated last week that Minneapolis “remains open for business” and said people should live their lives as usual.
But security around the Hennepin County Courthouse, City Hall, and Jail – all in the heart of downtown – is extraordinary. It comprises three rings of concrete barriers, two surmounted by a chain-link fence with a tray filled with coils of barbed wire in between. The inner fence is covered with barbed wire and the ground floor windows of all three buildings are boarded up.
Protest leaders are also tense. They accuse the authorities of creating a police state in the center that could trample their freedom of expression and assembly.
“It won’t stop us from protesting. We are determined to make our voices heard, ”said Linden Gawboy, an activist with the Twin Cities Coalition 4 Justice 4 Jamar, which was created after the 2015 murder of Jamar Clark in Minneapolis by police.
It’s not just the courthouse that is being barricaded. The State Capitol in St. Paul has been surrounded by temporary fencing since last summer’s unrest. Inside, lawmakers have been bickering for weeks about providing additional state money for security during the trials, though Walz and other officials say they will somehow make it.
“There will be very high emotion on all sides, and we will be prepared,” Walz said.
Julie Ingebretsen, owner of a Nordic food and gift market on Lake Street, which was founded by her Norwegian grandfather, said she won’t be on board, although she does want to expect something in the mile-long commercial corridor with many immigrant and minority-run businesses . Some have never removed the plywood they set up last summer.
While Ingebretsen’s Nordic Marketplace was looted and destroyed, she said she was lucky her shop didn’t get burned. She said she now feels “cautiously optimistic” because of the personal efforts of Police Chief Medaria Arradondo and other city officials, and their assurance that many police and security officers are on hand.
“We’re celebrating our 100th anniversary this year, so we plan to celebrate another 100 and not go anywhere,” said Ingebretsen. “We are fully committed to keep moving forward.”