Minneapolis Protest for Winston Smith and Deona Marie

June 14, 2021

Protesters gather at Seven Points parking ramp in Minneapolis, with messages painted on the red pavement.

Protesters gathered at the Seven Points parking ramp in Uptown Minneapolis on August 31, 2021, to protest the law enforcement shooting death of Winston Smith ten days prior. The protest also honored Deona Marie Knajdek, who was killed the previous day when Nicholas Kraus drove his vehicle into a crowd of demonstrators. The red pavement of the ramp was covered in messages such as "FREE AMERICA," "POLICE BRUTALITY," and "HOW MANY MORE," reflecting the ongoing activism and public outcry following Smith's death and other instances of police violence. 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. On June 13, 2021, 31-year-old Deona Marie Knajdek was killed when a driver accelerated into a group of demonstrators gathered in Minneapolis’ Uptown neighborhood during ongoing protests over the killing of Winston “Boogie” Smith Jr. Protesters had blocked the intersection of West Lake Street and Girard Avenue with vehicles and barricades when Nicholas Kraus drove a Jeep Cherokee into the crowd at high speed, killing Knajdek and injuring several others. Kraus was later charged with second-degree murder, two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, and criminal vehicular operation. In 2023

Photo taken in June 2021.

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