RIP Winston Smith Graffiti on Midtown Greenway, Minneapolis

Graffiti memorializing Winston Smith, who was killed by law enforcement on June 3, 2021, is visible on a wall along the Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis. The Midtown Greenway is a 5.7-mile paved multi-use trail built on a former railroad corridor. The graffiti, which includes the number "1312" (a numerical code for "All Cops Are Bastards"), appeared in the context of protests and unrest following Smith's death. On June 3, 2021, members of a U.S. Marshals Service fugitive task force fatally shot 32-year-old Winston “Boogie” Smith Jr. on the top level of a parking ramp in Minneapolis’ Uptown neighborhood while attempting to arrest him on a felony warrant. Authorities said Smith fired a handgun from inside his vehicle during the encounter, while family members and activists questioned the official account and demanded the release of additional evidence. The killing led to weeks of protests, street occupations, and confrontations with police in Uptown, becoming another major flashpoint in Minneapolis during the period following the murder of George Floyd. Earlier in the day Minneapolis city officials along with The Agape Movement coordinated to open the streets that had been closed at George Floyd Square since his murder.

Photo taken in June 2021.