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.