In the early 2020s, the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Minnesota experienced a wave of civil unrest, comprising peaceful demonstrations and riots, against systemic racism toward black Americans, notably in the form of police violence. A number of events occurred, beginning soon after the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, by a white Minneapolis police officer on May 25, 2020. National Public Radio characterized the events as cultural reckoning on topics of racial injustice.
Many specific protests over Floyd's murder were described as peaceful events, but Minneapolis–Saint Paul experienced widespread rioting, looting, and property destruction over a three-night period in late May 2020 that resulted in $500 million in property damage, the second-most destructive period of local unrest in U.S. history, after the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Local protests sparked a global protest movement over police brutality and racial justice, and affected state and local policies, local economic conditions, and residents' well-being.
Unrest over Floyd's murder continued as protesters sought justice for Floyd and made broader calls to address structural racism in Minnesota and residents reacted to other incidents, with many protest events part of the larger Black Lives Matter movement. While some demonstrations were violent and generated controversy, protesters from varying backgrounds came to rally against what they perceived as the normalization of the killings of innocent black people.Uren, Adam (18 August 2020). "Protesters condemned after they destroy piñata of WCCO's Liz Collin" . Bring Me the News.
Events in 2020 Arrangement is chronological by the beginning date of each notable event series; timelines for some topics overlap.
George Floyd protests, May 26, 2020 – May 2, 2023
Protests began in Minneapolis on May 26, the day after the murder of George Floyd, when a video of the incident had circulated widely in the media. By midday, people had gathered by the thousands at the location of Floyd's murder and created a makeshift memorial. Organizers of the rally emphasized keeping the protest peaceful. Protesters and Floyd's family demanded that all four officers at the scene of his arrest and death be charged with murder and that judicial consequences be swift. That evening, the protest rally turned into a march to the Minneapolis Police Department's third precinct station, where the officers were believed to work. After the main protest group disbanded, a small skirmish the night of May 26 resulted in minor property damage at the station and the police firing tear gas at demonstrators.
Protests were held at several locations in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area in subsequent days. The situation escalated on the nights of May 27 to 29, when widespread arson, rioting, and looting took place, in contrast to daytime protests that were characterized as mostly peaceful. Some initial acts of property destruction on May 27 by a 32-year-old man with ties to white supremacist organizations, who local police investigators said was deliberately inciting racial tension, led to a chain reaction of fires and looting. The unrest, including demonstrators overtaking the Minneapolis third precinct police station and setting it on fire the night of May 28, garnered significant national and international media attention. After state officials mobilized Minnesota National Guard troops in its largest deployment since World War II, the violent unrest subsided and mostly peaceful protests resumed.
Violence and property destruction in May 2020 resulted in two deaths, 617 arrests, and more than $500 million in property damage to 1,500 locations, making it the second-most destructive period of local unrest in U.S. history, after the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
George Floyd Square occupation protest, May 26–ongoing
On May 26, the day after George Floyd's murder, an occupation protest emerged at the intersection of East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis, where Floyd was murdered. Protesters turned the area into a makeshift memorial and erected barricades to keep automobile traffic out, and police officers largely avoided the area in the following months. Thousands of visitors protested and grieved at the site, which was adorned with public art installments and described as like a "shrine". When Minneapolis city officials attempted to negotiate reopening the intersection in August 2020, protesters demanded that the city meet a list of 24 demands before removing cement barricades around it.
The Minneapolis Planning Commission recommended to the city council that Chicago Avenue between 37th and 39th streets be named "George Perry Floyd Jr Place", and the city designated the intersection as one of seven cultural districts in the city. The city also allocated $4.7 million to establish a permanent memorial at the site, though by the end of 2020, it was unable to reach agreement with community organizations that had presented officials with a list of demands before opening the intersection back up. The occupation protests persisted in 2021. City crews removed cement barricades at the intersection on June 3, 2021, as part of a phased reopening process, and vehicular traffic resumed on June 20, after having been closed for over a year.
Despite the intersection reopening to vehicular traffic, by the end of 2021, the occupied protest at George Floyd Square had persisted for 19 months. Tension persisted between organizers of the occupied protest, neighborhood residents, and city officials into 2023.
Michael Freeman protests, May 27–late 2020
In the aftermath of Floyd's murder, protests were held regarding Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman, with several taking place outside his Minneapolis home, beginning on May 27, 2020. Freeman was the attorney for Hennepin County and the initial prosecutor of the four Minneapolis police officers involved in Floyd's murder. Protesters were outraged by comments Freeman made on May 28, 2020, when he said, "There is other evidence that does not support a criminal charge", referencing how officials were reviewing evidence about whether to charge the police officers with crimes. Freeman later said the remarks were misinterpreted and were meant to convey a thorough review of all available evidence.
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office deployed deputies and the county paid for private security to protect Freeman and his home against alleged threats. On May 30, more than 1,000 protesters gathered outside his home, and some caused minor damage to the house. A protest group gathered at the Hennepin County Government Center on June 12 to demand Freeman's resignation over his handling of previous officer-involved shootings in Minneapolis, such as the shooting of Jamar Clark and the prosecution of former police officer Mohamed Noor in the shooting of Justine Damond. A group also launched a petition drive to recall Freeman.
Freeman later sold his house in late 2020 at less than the assessed value. Some protesters viewed Freeman's home move as a success of their efforts to pressure him politically.
Police abolition movement, June 6, 2020–November 2, 2021
Protesters of Floyd's murder in Minneapolis and elsewhere began calling for reforms of police forces, including defunding, downsizing, or abolishing traditional police departments. Led by local organization Black Visions Collective, thousands of protesters marched in Minneapolis on June 6, 2020. The march ended at the home of Mayor Jacob Frey. The crowd demanded that he come outside and asked if he supported abolishing the city's police force. When Frey responded that he did not, the crowd ordered him to leave and booed him away.
On June 7, 2020, at a Powderhorn Park rally organized by Black Visions Collective and several other black-led social justice organizations, nine of the 13 members of the Minneapolis City Council vowed before a large crowd to dismantle the city's police department. Activists who organized the rally wanted to replace the police department with unarmed public safety responders, but details about the proposal were indefinite.
The effort to replace the Minneapolis police department with a public safety department continued in 2020 and 2021. A ballot measure was put before Minneapolis voters in the municipal election on November 2, 2021. If passed, city officials would have 30 days to establish a Department of Public Safety, though the exact structure of the new department, the services it would provide, the number of police officers it employed, and its funding level would be determined through a series of city ordinances. Voters rejected the ballot measure, which required at least 51% to pass, with 80,506 votes (56.2%) cast for "no" and 62,813 (43.8%) for "yes".
Christopher Columbus statue toppling, June 10
An American Indian Movement group tore down a statue of Christopher Columbus outside the state capitol building in Saint Paul on June 10 as the global protest movement turned toward removing monuments and memorials with controversial legacies.
Earlier in the day, members of the American Indian Movement, led by Mike Forcia of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians, announced their intention to topple the statue. State Patrol troopers and a Department of Public Safety tribal liaison met with organizers before the event, encouraging them to follow a legal process for removal and warning them that they could face charges for destruction of public property. Forcia countered that they had already waited far too long, having worked through official channels for years without success. American Indian Movement members and other demonstrators, including Dakota and Ojibwe community members, looped a rope around the statue and pulled it off its granite pedestal. The group drummed, sang songs, and took photos with the fallen statue. No one was arrested at the event. State Patrol troopers watched from a distance and did not intervene. Troopers eventually formed a line to protect the statue before it was transported offsite.
In December, Forcia agreed to a plea deal and accepted 100 hours in community service in connection with the incident. Officials estimated the cost to repair the statue would be over $154,000.
Minneapolis police union protests, June 12
The Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis, the union representing Minneapolis Police Department officers, and its elected leader were the subject of several protest events. Protesters gathered at the Police Officers Federation building in Minneapolis on June 12 to demand the resignation of Bob Kroll, head of the city's police union, who had characterized the protests and Black Lives Matter as a "terrorist organization". Thousands of people stretched in every direction from the federation building and listened to speeches by community leaders. Protesters returned on June 25. Kroll had earlier said he would not step down from the post. Protesters said they would continue protesting until their demands were met.
Juneteenth commemoration, June 19