George Floyd Square To Host Festival For Anniversary As Some Locals Question Why Area Is Still Closed

At the intersection where George Floyd passed away in Minneapolis, an outdoor festival is scheduled to take place Tuesday in order to commemorate the one-year anniversary of his death, but some locals are wondering when the area will return to normal.

The event, called “Rise and Remember,” is reportedly being organized by the George Floyd Global Memorial. It will take place at 38th and Chicago in Minneapolis where Floyd died and will “include community art and children’s activities, along with an open mic session and concerts featuring Grammy Award-winning Sounds of Blackness and notable DJ Sophia Eris at 6 p.m., ending with a candlelit vigil honoring Floyd at 8 p.m.,” according to the event page. 

“George Floyd Square and the George Floyd Global Memorial were built by members of the community who wanted to preserve the site where my nephew lost his life,” said Angela Harrelson, George Floyd’s aunt who lives in Minneapolis. “On the anniversary of his death, we will celebrate the impact of his life on our family, friends, the community, and our society.”

In January, local outlet the Star Tribune reported that the location dubbed “George Floyd Square” is “one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares, providing essential access to transit, businesses and the nearby neighborhood,” but it has been shut down from traffic since late May because it became a memorial “and because city officials and community groups can’t come to terms on a more permanent memorial, reopening to traffic or social justice efforts.”

City authorities announced efforts to start the reopening process of the intersection last August, but delayed the plans, “avoiding a confrontation with demonstrators.”

The outlet reported that re-establishing the intersection is essential, with the Editorial Board arguing last year that the area must allow first responders access to get to residences and businesses in a fast manner. It added that any memorial plan “should balance the need for a place of reflection with the practicalities of moving traffic and supporting businesses.” 

“From a safety standpoint, neighbors and law enforcement are concerned about the increase in crime around the area and the perception that it’s almost a ‘no go’ zone for police,” the outlet reported in January.

It added that “the city needs access for street cleaning, rubbish removal and snowplowing. In addition, in an online survey done by the city, 65% of people said they supported reopening the intersection in some form. About 19% said they believed the area should remain closed indefinitely.”

Last month, the city of Minneapolis told local 5 Eyewitness News that it was still finalizing “the timeline, process and approach” for reopening George Floyd Square even after the jury announced its verdict in the highly anticipated case regarding Floyd’s death.

“This used to be a healing zone. Now it’s a hurting zone,” one resident who lives on Chicago Avenue recently told Slate, referring to recent gun violence in the area. “I think this should open back up. There are young brothers who are taking advantage of it. When it first went down, I liked the way they went about everything. But now, that’s gone,” he said. “It’s after the trial now. This is when they said we’re supposed to open it back up. They promised that.”

Other people in the area want the site to stay closed, but some local business owners want to see the streets reopen. Nabil Abumayyaleh is one of four brothers who own and operate CUP Foods where Floyd had been before a worker called the police on him reporting that he had allegedly paid with a counterfeit bill.

“We want the memorial out there for George Floyd out of respect for how the cops did him. Keep the memorial there. But we want our streets back where we have our customers,” Abumayyaleh told Slate. “We want the streets to open back up because we want our community back. We want our customers going and coming as they please.”

As reported by The Daily Wire in April, after a little over 10 hours of deliberation, a jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in relation to the death of Floyd. 

On May 25, 2020, Chauvin and three other officers arrested and detained Floyd after he allegedly gave counterfeit money at a convenience store. Following a struggle to get Floyd into the back of a police cruiser, viral video shows that Chauvin kneeled on Floyd’s neck and back for nearly nine minutes to detain Floyd while awaiting paramedics. 

President Joe Biden plans to host George Floyd’s family at the White House this week to mark the anniversary that initiated a national movement against racism and policy brutality. 

The Daily Wire reported, however, that Biden will not meet his stated deadline for passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act by May 25th, amid concerns that the existing draft measure does not have “teeth.” 

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