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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Barbed wire and concrete barriers surround the courthouse where the former Minneapolis policeman accused of the murder of George Floyd will soon be tried, a sign of the deep unease hanging over a city that literally burned down nearly ‘a year in anger. on his death.
Mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Tim Walz, both Democrats, have come under heavy criticism for failing to act faster to stop last summer’s looting and destruction, which included the burning of a police station . Anything less than a murder conviction for Derek Chauvin is likely to test them – and the city – once again.
Jury selection begins March 8 with opening statements on March 29. Floyd, who was black, died on May 25 after Chauvin, who was white, pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck as he was handcuffed and pleaded that he couldn’t breathe. Chauvin faces second degree murder and manslaughter charges; three other dismissed 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 escalated into violence, with shops looted and torched along Lake Street’s commercial thoroughfare that included the 3rd District Police Station, which housed the officers who arrested Floyd. The station itself was eventually abandoned by the police and set on fire by rioters. Some nervous neighborhoods have formed watch groups, set up checkpoints and sometimes armed patrols. The violence finally subsided after the arrival of sufficient numbers of National Guard troops.
As the city moves to make the courthouse virtually impenetrable, some people are worried about what might 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” and for the destruction that followed – estimated at over $ 350 million in Minneapolis alone.
“A policeman did this,” Usso said. “Something has to change.”
His Seward Pharmacy has reopened with the help of donors. Between vaccinating clients against COVID-19, Usso – an Ethiopian immigrant and a black man – spoke of still feeling the emotional turmoil surrounding Floyd’s death and the unrest, and his concerns about the trial.
“I don’t know what will happen to my business. We are waiting to see, ”Usso said. “But I will continue to serve our neighbors and deliver prescriptions to Grandma and Grandpa. If anything happens, we will continue.
Frey said more than 3,000 law enforcement officers statewide and Minnesota National Guard soldiers will be ready when the case goes to jury, scheduled for late April or early May.
Frey said last week that Minneapolis remains “open for business” and said people should go about their lives as usual.
But the security that rises around the Hennepin County Courthouse, Town Hall and Jail – all in the heart of downtown – is extraordinary. It includes three rings of concrete barriers, two topped with a chain link fence with a hollow in between filled with coils of razor wire. The innermost fence is topped with barbed wire and the windows on the ground floors of all three buildings are closed.
The leaders of the protest are also nervous. They accuse the authorities of creating a police state in the city center that could violate their freedoms of expression and assembly.
“It’s not going to deter 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 formed after the police murder of Jamar Clark in Minneapolis in 2015.
It is not just the courthouse that is barricaded. The St. Paul State Capitol has been surrounded by temporary fences since the unrest last summer. Inside, lawmakers have argued for weeks to provide additional money to the state for security during trials, though Walz and other officials say they will manage in some way of another.
“There is going to be a very strong emotion on all sides, and we will be ready,” said Walz.
Julie Ingebretsen, owner of a Scandinavian food and gift market on Lake Street that was founded by her Norwegian grandfather, said she was not returning on board, although she expected some will in the mile-long trade corridor that includes many businesses run by immigrants and minorities. . Some have never dismantled the plywood they laid last summer.
As Ingebretsen’s Nordic market was looted and vandalized, she said she was lucky her store was not burnt down. She said she felt “cautiously optimistic” now due to the personal outreach efforts of Police Chief Medaria Arradondo and other city officials, and their assurances that many members of the police and the guard will be ready.
“We are celebrating our 100th anniversary this year, so we intend to celebrate another 100 and not go anywhere,” said Ingebretsen. “We are totally determined to keep moving forward.”
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