Protesters at Hennepin County Government Center during Chauvin Trial

Protesters gathered outside the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis during the trial of Derek Chauvin. The courthouse was surrounded by security fencing, a measure implemented due to the high-profile nature of the trial and concerns about potential unrest. The trial, which began in March 2021, stemmed from the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in May 2020. Protests against police brutality and racial injustice, often under the banner of Black Lives Matter, had been ongoing in Minneapolis and across the nation since Floyd's death.