I grew up in the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was heartbreaking to watch George Floyd’s murder play out over and over again in nine-minute intervals. But it was also appalling to watch the burning of a downtown I love. Over a year later, the town is still in upheaval over Floyd’s memorial.
A few days ago, city crews arrived at the George Floyd Square in Minneapolis and removed concrete barriers, artwork, flowers, and other items from the memorial. Activists were angry that workers had dismantled the memorial without providing prior warning or acceding to a “list of demands for justice made by neighbors,” according to the Sahan Journal.
The city reopened the intersection that had become a double-edged sword. A memorial for an injustice that sparked a movement, yes, but also a hotbed for crime. While Floyd’s death should never have happened in the manner it did, its fact cannot be undone. With the civil settlement and finding of Derek Chauvin’s guilt, justice (a loaded word full of complexity and nuance) has been served.
Parts of the city itself still remain in shambles, however. This local Fox 9 drone video of the widespread damage the riots caused last year is devastating. Minneapolis looks like a third-world country. A May Star Tribune headline says it all: “Businesses damaged in riots after death of George Floyd still fighting for assistance.”
Like the memorial, which seems to attract both violence and mourners, there have been two approaches to rebuilding: Democrats generally want taxpayers to cover it, but many Republicans do not.
Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, proposed a plan that “would authorize $150 million in bonds to help redevelop parts of Minneapolis and St. Paul that were damaged in riots.” Again, however, Republicans aren’t too keen on spending tax dollars to the tune of $500 million repairing criminal damage. State Sen. Julie Rosen, a Republican, proposed a provision that would exclude local governments from using state money dedicated for disaster aid to repair public infrastructure damaged in a riot.
Though lawmakers reached a deal on their budget, a special session is still necessary, and an agreement about who, specifically, should pay for certain aspects of rebuilding remains unclear.
Residents of Minneapolis, the beautiful city of waters, must ask itself: What does justice look like now?
Almost anyone can understand the need for a physical memorial, but doesn’t the movement itself, Black Lives Matter, and other concerned communities want to live and thrive in the city they love again? It seems anathema to Black Lives Matters and its core values that its community lives in rubble built with anger. So, also, must rioters and looters be held accountable. Only this way can Minneapolis move forward.
Nicole Russell (@russell_nm) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is a journalist who previously worked in Republican politics in Minnesota.
