Demonstrations on eve of George Floyd trial include silent march, symbolic coffin
Darryl Fears and Jared Goyette, The Washington Post
March 7, 2021
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1of5People protest near the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis on Sunday, March 7, 2021.Washington Post photo by Joshua LottShow MoreShow Less
2of5A law enforcement officer stands with members of the National Guard near the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis on Sunday, March 7, 2021.Washington Post photo by Joshua LottShow MoreShow Less
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4of5People protest outside the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis on Sunday, March 7, 2021.Washington Post photo by Joshua LottShow MoreShow Less
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MINNEAPOLIS - On the eve of the criminal trial for Derek Chauvin, the former police officer accused of killing George Floyd and sparking global racial protests, this was a city on edge.
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It was sparked after a video emerged of police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Mr Floyd s neck for nine minutes as he repeatedly pleaded that he could not breathe on May 25.
The incident triggered violent protests in Minneapolis, many other towns and cities in the US and also in the UK.
City leaders had to call in the National Guard following nights of rioting and looting as around 1,500 businesses suffered $1billion in damages and a Minneapolis police station was abandoned to the mob.
With months to prepare, the city has vowed to maintain law and order while allowing for peaceful protests, adding officers had undergone de-escalation training .
Minneapolis spends more than $1M on barricades ahead of Derek Chauvin trial next week for murder of George Floyd as local businesses fear repeat of BLM rioting
Barbed wire and metal barricades have already been erected around the Hennepin County Courthouse where Chauvin s murder trial is set to start Monday with jury selection
City, state and federal leaders held their last security briefings Thursday just days before the trial kicks off
Dubbed Operation Safety Net , the multi-agency security plan includes closures of certain public buildings and streets, extra security from cops and National Guard troops and a public communication plan