George Floyd Square warming shelters moved to impound lot

Warming shelters, constructed by activists and used at George Floyd Square, are transported to a City of Minneapolis impound lot. The shelters were removed after the city reopened the intersection to vehicular traffic in June 2021. George Floyd Square became a focal point for protests and activism following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers in May 2020. The area was occupied by protesters for over a year, during which time community-built structures like these shelters were erected. On May 25, 2020, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered 46-year-old George Floyd during an arrest outside Cup Foods at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in south Minneapolis. Video recorded by bystanders showed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes while Floyd repeatedly said he could not breathe. Three other Minneapolis police officers - J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao — were also present during the arrest and later faced criminal charges for their roles in Floyd’s death. Floyd’s murder sparked protests and civil unrest across Minneapolis and around the world, leading to widespread demonstrations against police violence, major policy debates on policing, and the conviction of Chauvin on murder and manslaughter charges in 2021.