Looks like the City of Minneapolis has finally had it with BLM taking up residence in “George Floyd Square.”
BLM had blocked the street for months since the death of George Floyd last year. They set up a memorial there, but they also blocked the streets in the area with barricades, camped out, didn’t allow police in the area, and prevented cars from getting through.
But today, city workers descended on the area starting before dawn and cleared away the barricades preventing traffic from getting through the intersection. They are going to preserved aspects of the memorial.
The city is here. #nojusticenostreets #minneapolis #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/NY0U5D4lcm
— marciahoward38thstreet (@marciaxthree) June 3, 2021
Municipal workers began the process about 4:30 a.m.at 38th and Chicago — dubbed George Floyd Square — with community representatives playing a role in coordinating the removal of flowers, artwork and variously sized barriers and shacks, said city spokeswoman Sarah McKenzie. …
What will remain, she said, is the several-foot tall fist sculpture in the middle of the intersection that had been a major through-point for city buses and other traffic until the memorial swelled soon after Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020.
“The fist sculpture is going to remain in the roundabout,” she said, while the informal garden around it was being moved.
NOW: George Floyd Square being reopened; City crews working with community led effort to preserve artifacts but open streets. pic.twitter.com/iQj8cBAgyW
— Bill Keller (@billkellerfox9) June 3, 2021
New traffic controls being installed at 38th & Chicago Ave.; Intersection to soon reopen. pic.twitter.com/g6CdhTddEC
— Bill Keller (@billkellerfox9) June 3, 2021
Some of the BLM people called it “disrespectful” to the memory of Floyd.
Watching in disbelief. “Disrespectful” pic.twitter.com/H66zni12YZ
— Bill Keller (@billkellerfox9) June 3, 2021
The city said they did this in cooperation with the community. “This is a community-led reconnection process with City support,” city spokeswoman Sarah McKenzie told Fox News. They did it in coordination with the Agape Movement, which was involved in providing private security in the square for the past year. “There’s a chance and a time for this community to get back to a new normal. That’s what we’re trying to establish,” Agape Senior Advisor Steve Floyd exclaimed.
The city just issued a formal statement from Mayor Jacob Frey basically reiterating that.
First we’ve heard from @MayorFrey, Andrea Jenkins (council VP) and Alondra Cano about the opening of 38th & Chicago, George Floyd Square. pic.twitter.com/9fp2vjpB7j
— Jason DeRusha (@DeRushaJ) June 3, 2021
It appeared however the if this was “community-led” they didn’t tell a lot of the BLM folks who were out and upset about it happening. BLM might be having a hissy, but one has to think it’s a relief for the regular people and businesses in the area to finally have some normality and traffic through the area again. The area had become a crime-ridden ‘autonomous zone’ with at least one killing and a drive-by shooting that was caught live on the air.
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