MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Barbed wire and concrete barriers surround the courthouse, where former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd will soon stand trial, a sign of the deep unrest that hangs over a literally burned city almost a year ago. year in rage at his death.
Mayor Jacob Frey and Gov. Tim Walz, both Democrats, were harshly criticized for not moving faster to stop last summer’s looting and destruction, which included lighting a police station. Anything other than a murder conviction by Derek Chauvin is likely to put them to the test – and the city – once again.
The selection of the jury begins on March 8 with opening statements on March 29th. Floyd, who was black, died May 25th after Chauvin, who was white, pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck while he was handcuffed and begging him not to be able to breathe. Chauvin faces charges of homicide and second-degree homicide; three other fired agents go on trial in August.
Thousands took to the streets of Minneapolis after Floyd’s death. Many demonstrated peacefully. But for several nights, the unrest turned to violence, with shops looted and set on fire along the commercial artery of Lake Street, which included the 3rd Precinct police station, where officers who arrested Floyd lived. The station itself was eventually abandoned by police and burned by riot police. Some nervous neighborhoods formed surveillance groups, setting up checkpoints and sometimes armed patrols. Violence eventually subsided after National Guard troops arrived in sufficient numbers.
As the city moves to make the court virtually impenetrable, some people worry about what might happen elsewhere if Chauvin is acquitted.
Elias Usso’s pharmacy on Lake Street had been open less than a year ago when it was destroyed by fire and water. Chauvin personally blames what he considers “the murder of an innocent man,” as well as the destruction that followed, estimated at more than $ 350 million in Minneapolis alone.
“A police officer 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 emotional turmoil over Floyd’s death and discomfort, and his concerns about the process.
“I do not know what will happen to my business. We are waiting to see it “, said Usso. “But I will continue to serve our neighbors and deliver recipes to grandma and grandpa. If something happens, we will continue.
Frey said more than 3,000 statewide police officers and Minnesota National Guard soldiers will be ready when the case goes to jury, scheduled for late April or early May.
Frey declared last week that Minneapolis remains “open to business” and said people should follow their lives as usual.
But the security around Hennepin County Courthouse, City Hall and the jail, all in the heart of the city center, is extraordinary. It includes three concrete barrier rings, two topped by chain fences with a trough half full of coils of wire. The innermost fence is topped with barbed wire and the ground floor windows of the three buildings are walled up.
Protest leaders are also on the sidelines. Authorities are accused of creating a police state in the city center that could violate their freedoms of speech and assembly.
“It will not deter us from protesting. We are determined to make our voices heard, ”said Linden Gawboy, an activist for the Twin Cities Coalition 4 Justice 4 Jamar, which was formed after the 2015 police assassination of Jamar Clark in Minneapolis.
Not only is the court barricaded. The St. Paul’s State Capitol has been surrounded by temporary fencing since last summer’s riots. Inside, lawmakers have been vying for weeks to provide additional state money for security during trials, though Walz and other officials say they will manage one way or another.
“There will be very high emotions on all sides, and we will be prepared,” Walz said.
Julie Ingebretsen, owner of a Scandinavian food and gift market on Lake Street that was founded by her Norwegian grandfather, said she does not embark, although she does expect some will in the mile-long commercial corridor that includes many targeted businesses. for immigrants and minorities. . Some have never lowered the plywood they put up last summer.
Although Ingebretsen’s Nordic market was looted and vandalized, he said he was lucky his shop would not burn down. He said he now feels “cautiously optimistic” because of the personal outreach efforts made by police chief Medaria Arradondo and other city officials, and because of his assurances that there will be plenty of police and members of the guard.
“This year we are celebrating our 100th anniversary, so we have every intention of celebrating another 100 and not going anywhere,” Ingebretsen said. “We are fully committed to moving forward.”