Minneapolis Uprising – April 2025

Rallies at the Minnesota State Capitol, streets of Uptown, and memorials at George Floyd Square in spring 2025

April 1–30, 2025 Minneapolis

On April 5, 2025, an estimated 25,000 people gathered on the grounds of the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul for a "Hands Off!" rally, one of hundreds held across the country that day in opposition to the Trump administration and the influence of Elon Musk over federal policy. Senator Amy Klobuchar addressed the crowd, which the Minnesota State Patrol confirmed as one of the largest political assemblies the Capitol had seen in recent years.

The rally was the most concentrated moment of this instalment, but the period it covers stretches across the wider life of Minneapolis in early spring. Yard signs along residential sidewalks in South Minneapolis carried messages about democracy and belonging. Bars and rooftop patios on Nicollet Mall and in the Warehouse District were filling again with people. On Hennepin Avenue, the Metro Transit Blue Line — running since 2004 — moved through downtown after dark, and at Hennepin and Lagoon, a street vendor worked the sidewalk outside the Uptown Theater, which has anchored that corner since 1939.

The Minneapolis Police 3rd Precinct station on Lake Street, burned on May 28, 2020, during the unrest that followed George Floyd's murder, remained under active work. Crews removed the front vestibule in late April — a visible step in a redevelopment process that has moved slowly across nearly five years. A few miles away, George Floyd Square at Chicago Avenue and East 38th Street continued to function as a community-maintained memorial.

A panel discussion at the MSP International Film Festival brought together Minneapolis City Council Member Robin Wonsley, Hennepin County Commissioner Angela Conley, activist Toshira Garraway, and Jeanelle Austin of the George Floyd Global Memorial to discuss the film "The People's Way" and what has and has not changed since 2020. That conversation — happening alongside construction equipment at the precinct and crowds at the Capitol — defined where this stretch of the larger story sits: the uprising's causes still present, its consequences still being negotiated.

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Senator Amy Klobuchar speaks at Hands Off Protest — *April 5, 2025* — Amy Klobuchar has represented Minnesota in the U.S. Senate since 2007 and sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee. The "Hands Off!" demonstrations on April 5, 2025, were part of a coordinated nationwide day of action opposing Trump administration policies, including proposed cuts to Social Security and changes to the U.S. Postal Service. Signs referencing the Postal Service reflected concerns raised that spring over proposals to restructure or privatize the agency. The rally took place on the grounds of the Minnesota State Capitol,.

Thousands gather outside the Minnesota State Capitol Hands Off — *April 5, 2025* — The Minnesota State Capitol, completed in 1905 and designed by architect Cass Gilbert, anchors the mall where this crowd gathered. This particular rally was part of the nationwide "Hands Off!" movement held on April 5, 2025, with organizers citing opposition to policies tied to the Trump administration and Elon Musk. Minnesota State Patrol estimated roughly 25,000 people attended the St. Paul event that day.

Hands Off from inside the capitol — *April 5, 2025* — A large protest, part of the nationwide "Hands Off!" movement, gathered an estimated 25,000 people at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul.

America WTF Hands Off Protest St Paul Minnesota — *April 5, 2025* — The Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, completed in 1905 and designed by architect Cass Gilbert, served as the backdrop for a "Hands Off!" demonstration on April 5, 2025. Demonstrators gathered on the Capitol grounds as part of a coordinated day of protests held simultaneously in cities across the country, organized in opposition to policies of the Trump administration and actions tied to Elon Musk's role in federal government restructuring.

Protesters climb a large bare tree during a rally at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul. — *April 5, 2025* — The Minnesota State Capitol, completed in 1905 and designed by architect Cass Gilbert, served as the backdrop for a "Hands Off!" rally on April 5, 2025. The rally was one of more than 1,200 coordinated demonstrations held across the United States that day, organized in opposition to policies of the Trump administration and to actions by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.

Protest sign depicting caricatures labeled "Hitler 2.0" at Minnesota State Capitol rally. — *April 5, 2025* — The "Hands Off!" rally at the Minnesota State Capitol on April 5, 2025 drew a large crowd protesting policies of the Trump administration and Elon Musk's role in federal government cuts through the Department of Government Efficiency. The Minnesota State Patrol estimated roughly 25,000 people attended the demonstration on the Capitol grounds in St. Paul. The rally was one of hundreds held simultaneously across the country under the same "Hands Off!" banner.

Political yard signs along a South Minneapolis residential sidewalk display messages about democracy and inclusion. — *April 8, 2025* — Three yard signs stand along a residential sidewalk in South Minneapolis. One reads "Dictator or Democracy — That's the Choice," another "All Are Welcome Here," and a third "And One Day Like a Miracle He'll Be Gone."

Chicago Avenue at East 38th Street in Minneapolis, with parked cars and bare trees lining the street in April 2022. — *April 8, 2025* — Chicago Avenue runs north-south through South Minneapolis, connecting the Kingfield and Central neighborhoods before crossing East 38th Street near George Floyd Square.

Patrons sit at the bar inside Barrio Tequila Bar on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis. — *April 8, 2025* — Barrio is a Mexican restaurant and tequila bar on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis.

Robin Wonsley at The Peoples Way movie screening — *April 9, 2025* — "The People's Way" is a documentary tied to the aftermath of George Floyd's killing at 38th and Chicago in Minneapolis. Following its screening at the MSP International Film Festival, the panel included director William Tyner alongside Minneapolis City Council Member Robin Wonsley and Hennepin County Commissioner Angela Conley. Also participating were Jeanelle Austin of George Floyd Global Memorial, the organization that maintains the offerings and artwork at George Floyd Square, and activist Toshira Garraway, founder of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence. The discussion connected the film's subject matter to ongoing debates over the future of George Floyd Square as a memorial site.

Light rail train in Minneapolis on warm spring night — *April 11, 2025* — Metro Transit's light rail system connects downtown Minneapolis with St. Paul and the surrounding suburbs, carrying passengers on the Blue and Green Lines. The Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue station serves as a key downtown stop, positioned near First Avenue and the district's cluster of bars, restaurants, and music venues.

Minneapolis Police squad car being towed on Lagoon Avenue outside nightclubs at night. — *April 12, 2025* — A Minneapolis Police squad car sits loaded on a Stateway Towing flatbed on Lagoon Avenue in Uptown Minneapolis.

Street vendor serves customers outside the illuminated Uptown Theater on Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis at night. — *April 12, 2025* — A street vendor outside the Uptown Theater on Hennepin Avenue in Uptown Minneapolis.

Surveillance Camera over Midtown Greenway — *April 15, 2025* — The Midtown Greenway follows a below-grade rail corridor once used by the Milwaukee Road for freight and passenger trains through south Minneapolis. The trench was converted to a bicycle and pedestrian trail in phases beginning in 2000, running roughly 5.5 miles from the Chain of Lakes to the Mississippi River. Pleasant Avenue is one of more than two dozen street crossings that bridge over the corridor rather than intersect it at grade, a design carried over from the original rail line.

Construction and plywood at burned Minneapolis police station — *April 15, 2025* — Construction is underway at the former Minneapolis Police 3rd Precinct station in Minneapolis. The building sustained significant damage during protests in May 2020, which erupted following the murder of George Floyd.

Protest flyer on Minneapolis street pole advertising January 19 community assembly against Trump's agenda. — *April 15, 2025* — The flyer calls for a "Community Assembly" on January 19 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Andersen United Community School in Minneapolis. Its text reads "Money for people's needs, not the war machine" and pairs its call to "Defeat Trump's Extreme-Right Billionaire Agenda" with s supporting LGBTQ rights.

Boarded and damaged front vestibule of Minneapolis Police 3rd Precinct station during structural removal. — *April 27, 2025* — The Minneapolis Police 3rd Precinct station at 3000 Minnehaha Avenue has sat vacant since it burned during the unrest that followed George Floyd's killing in May 2020.

Motorcyclists occupy the sidewalk along Lagoon Avenue in Uptown Minneapolis. — *April 30, 2025* — Motorcyclists use the sidewalk along Lagoon Avenue in Uptown Minneapolis.

Minneapolis Uprising – April 2025

Minneapolis Photographer