The former police officer seen kneeling for about nine minutes on George Floyd’s neck
before he died in spring is due to go on trial, and Minneapolis is on edge, protesting, barricading and boarding up.
Several hundred people supporting the conviction of former Officer Derek Chauvin on murder charges
gathered across the Mississippi River on Saturday in front of the governor’s mansion in St. Paul, chanting, “Prosecute the police!”
More protests were planned Sunday and Monday outside the courthouse where the case will be heard in downtown Minneapolis, now lined with protective concrete barriers and razor wire. The criminal prosecution of Chauvin, due to be broadcast live on Court TV, is likely to be among the most closely watched in U.S. history.
George Floyd's relatives are bracing for the former officer’s murder trial set to start Monday under an intense spotlight. Only one relative at a time will be allowed to face Chauvin in the courtroom due to COVID restrictions, but the family members can rotate, the Hennepin County judge overseeing the case ruled.
City officials have prepared for Derek Chauvin's trial with stepped-up security and community outreach intended to prevent a repeat of last year's subsequent unrest.