Story at a glance
- Barricades protecting a memorial at the site where George Floyd was killed by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin were taken down Thursday in an effort to resume the flow of traffic within the community.
- Crews working at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, which was given the name George Floyd Square, began removing artwork and various tributes from the space before 5 a.m.
- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) said at a news conference Thursday that the “intersection will be forever changed,” adding that the city is working toward investing in the community and establishing a permanent memorial space.
Barricades protecting a memorial at the site where George Floyd was killed by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin were taken down Thursday in an effort to resume the flow of traffic within the community.
Crews working at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, which was given the name George Floyd Square, began removing artwork and various tributes from the space before 5 a.m., The Washington Post reported. A city spokesperson told the paper that Minneapolis is working with community groups to preserve the tributes to Floyd.
“This is a community-led reconnection process with the City supporting efforts to reopen the intersection while preserving artworks and memorials to George Floyd,” city spokeswoman Sarah McKenzie told The Post.
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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) said at a news conference Thursday that the “intersection will be forever changed,” adding that the city is working toward investing in the community and establishing a permanent memorial space. The fist sculpture at the center of the roundabout will remain.
Minneapolis City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins said in a joint statement with Frey on Thursday that the opening will “help restore and heal the community,” according to The Post.
“We are at a year now and we have had this unprecedented conviction of an officer that murdered a member of our community and now it’s time for us to begin the process of rebuilding this community, building a memorial worthy of the life of George Floyd and so many others who’ve lost their lives at the hands of the state,” Jenkins added at a news conference, The Post reported.
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Chauvin who knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes was convicted in April of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The former officer is scheduled to be sentenced June 5 with prosecutors asking for Judge Peter Cahill to deliver a 30-year punishment.
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