Hundreds of peaceful protesters turned out in 88-degree heat Monday afternoon in front of the Minnesota Governor’s Residence in St. Paul to demand the arrest and prosecution of the three remaining Minneapolis police officers involved in the death of George Floyd.
Of the four officers who were fired in the wake of Floyd’s May 25 death, only Derek Chauvin is in custody, facing one count each of third-degree murder and manslaughter. Chauvin was seen in a viral video of the incident pinning Floyd to the ground with his knee, ignoring the 46-year-old’s repeated complaints that he couldn’t breathe.
MN Governor Tim Walz looks on from behind several rousing speakers talking to thousands of protesters gathered peacefully in front of the governor’s residence Monday. pic.twitter.com/76Smc5CGjk
— Judy Griesedieck (@judygpix) June 1, 2020
“What we want is for all four of them to go to jail now,” activist Mel Reeves told the crowd. “Police violence is a disease. … You know how you get rid of a disease? You gotta cut it out.”
Gov. Tim Walz emerged from the Summit Avenue residence and attended the event for about 20 minutes, listening to speakers and meeting with members of Floyd’s family.
Walz had spoken to them before on the phone, but this was their first face-to-face meeting, a spokesman confirmed. When Walz returned to the residence, some in the crowd jeered him.
Organizers who spoke at the Summit Avenue rally called for a special prosecutor to be appointed to oversee the case, rather than Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who took over Chauvin’s prosecution last weekend from Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman.
They also criticized the third-degree murder charge against Chauvin as insufficient.
Reeves compared efforts to correct racial disparities in policing to the the fights against slavery, apartheid and segregation.
“If we fight, we’ll win,” he said. “This is how every revolution starts. Just like this.”
After a couple of hours in front of the Governor’s Residence, the demonstrators marched to the Minnesota State Capitol, where they continued to demonstrate peacefully, chanting and listening to speakers.
A contingent of Minnesota National Guard soldiers positioned on the front steps of the building was pulled back, after Lt. Col. Sam Andrews told the crowd that he didn’t want them to be an unwelcome presence at the gathering.
When some protesters refused to disperse as city’s 10 p.m. curfew took effect, law enforcement officers began making arrests. The St. Paul Police Department later said on Twitter that 65 people were taken into custody.
Dave Orrick contributed to this report.
