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Minneapolis, A Year Later

(Daily Caller)

Jorge Ventura Contributor
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Hundreds of protesters celebrated in downtown Minneapolis outside the Hennepin County Courthouse as Judge Peter Cahill read the verdict of former police officer Derek Chauvin, who was found guilty of second and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd.

The large crowd cheered, danced and cried moments after the verdict was announced as the city braced for riots following the civil unrest from last summer.”I don’t consider last year a riot, I consider it a worldwide uprising and demanding of a change,” a local man who lives inside George Floyd Square told the Daily Caller.

“And it seems to me that somebody listened.”

Before the verdict was announced the entire city prepared for riots. Businesses were boarded up and closed early on the day of the verdict as the National Guard patrolled the streets alongside local law enforcement. Tensions in Minneapolis were high with the Chauvin trial and recent death of Daunte Wright after he was shot by former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter.

Demonstrations remained peaceful throughout the night as the crowd gathered at the intersection of 38th street and Chicago avenue in South Minneapolis, also known as George Floyd Square. The crowd played music and danced, popped fireworks, and gave a few speeches. (RELATED: ‘Burn The Whole City Down’: BLM Protesters At Floyd Memorial Compare Police Shootings To ‘A Genocide’)

“I feel like justice has been served but we can’t get George back,” another local man who spoke to the Daily Caller the day after the verdict said. “I didn’t think they were going to be on our side,” he added, speaking on the jury’s decision that found Chauvin guilty on three counts.

“We didn’t want to be put in the middle of something so big,” Billy Abumayyaleh, owner of Cup Foods, the store that called the police on Floyd, said.

Abumayyaleh told the Daily Caller he is satisfied with the verdict and is finally ready to move on.”We’re a family store that wants to make a living and take care of our community.”

Following the verdict, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it’s opened an investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department to “assess all types of force by MPD officers,” the DOJ announced in a press release.

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