“We prepare for the worst”: high tension in Minneapolis before the end of the trial for the death of George Floyd

“We are preparing for the worst,” says Janay Clanton, a resident of Minneapolis, where this Monday the security forces are patrolling and the tents are armored awaiting the verdict of the trial for the death of the African-American George Floyd.

“Everything will explode“Predicts this 62-year-old woman, if the white policeman Derek Chauvin he is not found guilty of murder.

Clanton is not the only one concerned: after the death of Floyd while being detained by Chauvin This past May, emotions have been running high in this northern metropolis of USA, become synonymous with huge protests against racial injustice and police violence.

Minneapolis, a typical Midwest city, has more than 400,000 residents.

Skyscrapers surround the courthouse where the white policeman’s trial is coming to an end. Each of these office towers decided to protect itself behind huge wooden plates, several meters high.

A Target chain store, a few hundred yards from the courthouse, is still open to customers, but is so walled up that it is indistinguishable from an abandoned building.

“I live in the center of the city, and we are all quite concerned about the outcome of the trial. You can see it walking through the city ”, Clanton laments.

Around the courthouse, army vehicles, behind concrete blocks and 10-foot-high gates, testify to the sensitivity of the trial, which entered its final phase, with closing arguments before the jury retires to deliberate.

Terrance Floyd (center), brother of George Floyd, arrives at the Courthouse in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on April 19, 2021.

Any decision other than a guilty verdict could plunge the city, where some snowflakes still fall, into new demonstrations.

If that’s the case, “I think there will be riots and people will be really angry,” says Pouya Hemmati, a 31-year-old surgeon.

For her, Chauvin must be convicted of what he considers a “murder” and a case of “police brutality” against Floyd.

“Everyone saw him put his knee to his neck for 9 and a half minutes,” states.

As evidence of the prevailing tension, the police announced that on Sunday morning two members of the National Guard were attacked by gunfire from a moving car.

None were hit by the bullets and received only superficial wounds, mostly from broken glass.

Maxine Waters, a black Democratic congresswoman from California who especially traveled to Minnesota, has been accused by Republican officials of adding fuel to the fire this weekend.

“We must stay in the streets, we must be more active, we must be more aggressive”stated the octogenarian, who said she awaited the conviction of Chauvin.

Elements on the trial for the death of George Floyd.

“Drive a change”

For some residents, the court records of MinnesotaWhen it comes to cases involving police officers, they make a not guilty verdict more likely.

“The only time we saw (a police officer) be convicted was a person of color. So, as a person of color, I don’t expect the outcome to be – in quotes – in my favor, ”says Ashley Commodore.

A protester shouts slogans as she protests the shooting death of Daunte Wright by a police officer in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, on April 17, 2021. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (CHANDAN KHANNA /)

“I do not think he will be convicted, and I think the city is preparing for that,” says this 33-year-old singer, citing the presence of the National Guard.

The young woman foresees “riots and clashes” that will “double or even triple” in intensity compared to last year.

But yes Chauvin is found guilty, Commodore hopes the case “really drives a change” in the way Minnesota police operate.

Clanton wants to be optimistic. “I just hope that everything goes well, that everyone is satisfied and that our city continues to stand,” he said.