Five years later, Minneapolis remembers George Floyd

Sunday marks five years since George Floyd was pinned by his neck and killed by police in the streets of Minneapolis, sparking a historic wave of calls to action to end police brutality and racial injustice.

Since Floyd was murdered on May 25, 2020, by Minneapolis police, people have trekked to the city every year on the anniversary of his death to pay their respects and celebrate his legacy.

On Sunday morning, Eric Coleman sat near a huge raised fist that’s become synonymous with George Floyd Square, waiting for the crowds.

Coleman, who is serving as a security guard Sunday, has worked twice before on the anniversary of Floyd’s death with a team that’s mostly made up of people from south Minneapolis.

“The community members are more at ease when they see familiar faces even if it is a form of security or authority,” Coleman said. “Just having that camaraderie allows for smoother events down here.”

Coleman said the day has waned in intensity since Floyd’s death. But the anniversary’s ability to bring residents together remains.

“It’s sad that an event like this had to happen for the community to come together,” he said. “But in the end, that’s what you really want.”

On a weekend that is usually reserved for remembering fallen veterans, Floyd’s presence is everywhere in the Twin Cities — from author readings to prayer circles, concerts and more.

On Sunday, there are several planned events to honor Floyd’s life, with most of the major activities happening near the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue where he was killed. At what’s now known as George Floyd Square, scheduled events include a morning church service followed by an evening gospel concert — featuring popular local choir the Sounds of Blackness — and a candlelight vigil.

This year’s theme for the annual Rise and Remember Festival that celebrates Floyd’s life in George Floyd Square is “the people have spoken.”

“Now is the time for the people to rise up and continue the good work we started,” Angela Harrelson, an aunt of Floyd and board co-chair of the Rise and Remember nonprofit, said in a statement.

At nearby Phelps Field Park, a “Justice for George” exhibit will showcase plywood murals from 2020.

There were few people at George Floyd Square around 9 a.m. before events were scheduled to begin. At the People’s Way, the defunctgas station that’s become a daily gathering place for activists since Floyd’s death, a group of people ate donuts and drank coffee before the day’s events began.

Floyd’s death ignited a worldwide movement not only to make changes in policing but also to address systemic racial inequities in other areas of society. However, the commitment to that global movement’s long-term legacy has been debated.

This year’s milestone anniversary is marked by a stark contrast in the political atmosphere and societal acceptance of policing reforms, equity and racial justice work that had been widely called for in the aftermath of Floyd’s death in 2020.

On Wednesday, the Department of Justice filed to dismiss a consent decree agreement with Minneapolis that was supposed to entail sweeping reforms. There have also been rumors that President Donald Trump, who was the president when Floyd was killed, might pardon former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted in Floyd’s murder. Publicly, Trump has given no credence to the rumors.

The Trump administration has also tried to ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs throughout the country in public as well as private organizations.

Around 11 a.m. Central time, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, the Rev. Al Sharpton and members of Floyd’s family are scheduled to hold a memorial and subsequent news conference in Texas, where Floyd had previously lived before making Minnesota his home.