Jay Webb speaks at George Floyd Square garden, Minneapolis

Jay Webb addresses a gathering at the George Floyd Square garden in Minneapolis. The square, a site of protest and remembrance following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, was the subject of ongoing community efforts to transform the space. This image was taken as the city began to reopen the intersection to vehicle traffic, a move that sparked debate and community organizing. 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.

Photo taken in June 2021.