GEORGE FLOYD SQUARE

The news of 2020 was marked by the death of George Floyd. This tragedy, which took place in Minneapolis, had worldwide repercussions and gave the Black Live Matters movement a reach beyond the United States alone. For nearly 10 minutes on May 25, 2020, George Floyd was immobilized, one knee on his neck, at the corner of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue. This act, perpetrated by police officer Derek Chauvin, led to his death and an outpouring of emotion, even more so in Minnesota.

Messages of peace, flowers, candles and various works of art poured in without delay to testify to the deep reverence of the entire city, beyond the black community alone.
The George Floyd memorial stretches from 37th to 39th Street, at the junction with Chicago Avenue, at the level of the Cup Foods where the crime took place. Accessible 24 hours a day, the memorial is best visited during the day. Graffiti and paintings referencing this tragic recent story are legion throughout the city, so it's not necessarily necessary to visit the Square if it's not on your route. In addition to street art and a tribute to the city's art scene, there are also stigmata of the riots in the surrounding area, notably on Nicollet Avenue and Lake Street. Broken or looted businesses have kept their premises barricaded, without necessarily being able to reopen since the very hot summer of 2020 in Minneapolis...

Contrary to what you might think, the Black Live Matters movement had been around since 2013. As for the "I can't breathe" slogan, it dated back to another dramatic news item, the death of Eric Garner in New York in 2014, in similar circumstances. Following George Floyd's death, the City Council of Minneapolis voted unanimously to compensate his family with US$27 million in 2021. At first glance, this may seem a colossal sum, but in the end it's in line with American standards for this type of case, and in view of the media coverage. On July 7, 2022, police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years in prison for homicide; his three colleagues also received lighter sentences.