As of Thursday, six jurors had been seated.Īt Macalester, various departments and campus leaders have set aside spaces for community members in anticipation of the stress and anxiety that the trial and the news cycle surrounding it could bring, particularly Black students and students of color. Jury selection began on Tuesday, March 9, after a one-day delay as the Minnesota Court of Appeals considered whether the prosecution could reinstate a third-degree murder charge in addition to the higher charges of second-degree unintentional murder and manslaughter. “The city had four chances to stop Derek Chauvin before he put his knee on George Floyd’s neck, and they did nothing.” “Five of the names on this scroll are the handiwork of Derek Chauvin,” Gross said before reading off names. Michelle Gross, an organizer with CUAPB, broke the silence by reading out some of the names on the scroll. for nine minutes of silence, reminiscent of the amount of time that Chauvin kept his knee on George Floyd’s neck last May. Midway through the march, leaders directed protesters to pause and sit on Hennepin Ave. Marchers at the front of the crowd carried a white coffin and a long scroll bearing the names of over 470 people killed by law enforcement in Minnesota. The Racial Justice Network and Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB) led a silent march starting and ending outside the fenced-off government center. Protestors took to the streets of Minneapolis on Sunday, March 7, the day before the scheduled start of the trial. Various anti-racism and anti-police violence organizations, and members of the Minneapolis city council, have criticized this preparation for its focus on policing and security over community outreach. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Medaria Arradondo have led the effort to fortify Minneapolis, installing new fencing around the Hennepin County Government Center and bringing in 1,100 officers from outside law enforcement agencies and 2,000 national guard soldiers.

The Twin Cities have been bracing for the trial.

Over eight months since George Floyd was killed, the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin began this week. This article is the first installment of The Mac Weekly ’s weekly updates on the trial and the conversations it will spark at Macalester and across the Twin Cities. For the next several weeks, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin will face trial for charges of murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020.

Derek's in Trouble by Mac Black