Dozens of people gathered Saturday in front of the Minnesota governor’s mansion to demand that police be held accountable for their actions, days before the trial against a Minneapolis ex-agent for the death of the African American George Floyd.
Many of the approximately 150 people who demonstrated in Minnesota were relatives of others who died during incidents with police. Similar protests were organized in cities across the country prior to the trial of Derek Chauvin.
Floyd died on May 25 after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck as he lay subdued handcuffed and repeated that he could not breathe. The time recorded in a video of a body camera delivered by prosecutors shows that Chavin held his position for about nine minutes, even after he stopped moving Floyd – who was pronounced dead in a hospital.
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Chauvin faces charges of second-degree murder and culpable homicide. The jury selection begins on Monday for his opinion.
Saturday’s protest in Minnesota was organized by Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, a coalition of families who lost loved ones in clashes with police. Speakers said that in the face of Floyd’s death they want the cases of other incidents with police to be reopened and analyzed, the Star Tribune newspaper reported.