Photo Set

George Floyd Square

Photography from the George Floyd Memorial at George Floyd Square.

George Floyd SquareMinneapolis, MN

George Floyd Square occupies the intersection of Chicago Avenue and East 38th Street in South Minneapolis, where George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, 2020. The site has since grown into a permanent community memorial, also known as The People's Way, with murals, monuments, flowers, and messages covering the buildings, barriers, and pavement around the former Cup Foods store.

The square's transformation began in the days after Floyd's death, when community members established a protest encampment that drew global attention and helped spark a worldwide reckoning over policing and racial injustice. Over time, the city of Minneapolis acquired the former Speedway gas station property, while community members continued to maintain the memorial and expand its tributes, including a large wooden fist sculpture, the Social Justice Billboard Project artworks created by Franklin Middle School students, and a Daunte Wright memorial honoring another man killed by police in April 2021. The annual Rise and Remember Festival, organized by Jeanelle Austin and the Rise and Remember organization, brings Floyd's family and the wider community together each May to commemorate the anniversary of his death, most recently marking five years with performances by Sounds of Blackness and Dee-1, a candlelight march to Say Their Names Cemetery, and remarks by family members including Paris Stevens and Angela Harrelson. This set follows the square across multiple years of mourning, activism, and commemoration, including vigils held in response to subsequent police killings such as that of Ricky Cobb II in July 2023.

*June 20, 2020* — Chalk art on Chicago Avenue at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis reads “Free Our Brothers” and “Lock Up Our Oppressors.” Painted across the street with the image of a figure behind bars, the message was part of the protest memorials and street art that appeared at the site in June 2020 after the murder of George Floyd. George Floyd Square became a focal point for mourning, calls for police accountability, and community-led occupation of the intersection.

Protest graffiti on a former Metro Transit bus shelter at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis. — *June 20, 2020* — A former Metro Transit bus shelter at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis is covered with protest messages and symbols at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue. The glass panels bear hand-painted phrases including “Power,” “No Justice No Peace,” and “White Silence Is Violence,” along with raised-fist imagery and other markings. After the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, the intersection became a community-maintained memorial and protest site, and transit structures there were repurposed as surfaces for mourning and political expression.

Black Lives Matter graffiti on a Speedway gas pump at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis. — *June 20, 2020* — A gas pump at the Speedway station in George Floyd Square, Minneapolis, is marked with red “Black Lives Matter” graffiti. The station stands across from the intersection where George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020.

City Pages poster on a Speedway gas pump in George Floyd Square, Minneapolis, June 2020. — *June 20, 2020* — A City Pages newspaper poster is taped to a gas pump at the Speedway station in George Floyd Square, South Minneapolis. The June 3-9, 2020 cover features the words “George Floyd” and a raised fist above the headline at the bottom, linking the site to the protests and memorial activity that followed Floyd’s killing. The gas station at East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue became part of the occupied public space and neighborhood memorial during June 2020.

Graffiti-covered Speedway gas station at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis, June 2020. — *June 20, 2020* — The Speedway gas station at East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis is shown covered with graffiti and boarded storefront panels in June 2020. The station stood within George Floyd Square, the intersection where George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020. In the weeks after his murder, the property became part of a memorial and protest site, with messages painted across the pumps, walls, and doors.

George Floyd mural and memorial flowers at Cup Foods in Minneapolis, June 2020. — *June 15, 2020* — Cup Foods at East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis is covered with memorial tributes beneath a mural of George Floyd. Photographed at night in June 2020, the storefront at what became known as George Floyd Square is lined with flowers, signs, candles, and other offerings left after Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020.

Raised Fist Memorial at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis, surrounded by flowers and tributes in June 2020. — *June 15, 2020* — The Raised Fist Memorial at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis stands at the junction of Chicago Avenue and East 38th Street, surrounded by flowers, candles, signs, and other tributes in June 2020. The memorial was established after George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, 2020, and the intersection became a community-maintained protest and remembrance site. At the center of the square, the large clenched-fist sculpture anchors a traffic circle filled with offerings and messages left during the first weeks of protests over Floyd’s death.

Welcome table at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis with signs reading “Black Lives, Black Love, Black Justice.” — *June 15, 2020* — A welcome table at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis stands at the crossroads of East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, where a memorial and community healing space formed after George Floyd was killed by police in May 2020. Hand-lettered signs on the table read “Black Lives, Black Love, Black Justice” and describe the area as sacred ground for the Black and African American community and their allies.

George Floyd memorial outside Cup Foods at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis, June 2020. — *June 4, 2020* — George Floyd memorial outside Cup Foods at East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis on June 4, 2020. Flowers, wreaths, portraits, handwritten signs, and candles cover the storefront at the location where Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, 2020. The memorial formed in the days after his death and became the center of what is now known as George Floyd Square.

Protester with Black Lives Matter flag at George Floyd Square, Minneapolis, during a memorial gathering. — *June 4, 2020* — A protester raises a Black Lives Matter flag at George Floyd Square, the intersection of East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The photograph was made on June 4, 2020, days after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police at this corner on May 25. People gather around the street memorial and protest site, where flowers, signs, and tributes filled the intersection during sustained calls for racial justice and police accountability.

Community members gather at George Floyd Square memorial on East 38th Street in Minneapolis. — *June 4, 2020* — George Floyd Square at East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in South Minneapolis is shown on June 4, 2020, filled with flowers, handwritten signs, candles, and portraits left in memory of George Floyd. People stand and sit around the memorial at night as tents and informal gathering areas line the street behind it. The intersection became a major site of mourning and protest after Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020.

George Floyd memorial at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis, with mourners gathered at dusk. — *June 4, 2020* — Community members gather around a memorial at East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis on June 4, 2020, days after the killing of George Floyd. Flowers, candles, signs, and chalk messages cover the street in front of Cup Foods, the store beside the intersection where Floyd was killed on May 25. The site became known as George Floyd Square and remained a place of mourning, protest, and community vigil during the nationwide protests against police violence and racism.

George Floyd memorial outside Cup Foods in South Minneapolis, with flowers, signs, and a mural on June 4, 2020. — *June 4, 2020* — George Floyd Square outside Cup Foods in South Minneapolis is shown covered with flowers, candles, handwritten signs, and memorial objects on June 4, 2020. The memorial formed at the corner of East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020. A large mural of Floyd and messages calling for justice line the storefront, documenting the site’s role as a place of mourning and protest.

George Floyd memorial at 38th and Chicago in Minneapolis with flowers, signs, and candles outside Fire Arts Center. — *June 4, 2020* — The George Floyd memorial at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis is lined with flowers, signs, candles, and handwritten tributes outside Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center. Photographed on June 4, 2020, about 10 days after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police, the intersection had become a large public memorial and gathering place. Messages including “Black Lives Matter” and calls for justice are visible among the offerings placed along the sidewalk.

Crowd at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis outside the Speedway gas station on June 4, 2020. — *June 4, 2020* — A crowd gathers at George Floyd Square at Chicago Avenue and East 38th Street in Minneapolis, Minnesota, outside the Speedway gas station on June 4, 2020. The intersection became a memorial and protest site after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police there on May 25, 2020.

Mourners at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis beside a street memorial on June 4, 2020. — *June 4, 2020* — George Floyd Square at Chicago Avenue and East 38th Street in Minneapolis is shown at night on June 4, 2020, with mourners and visitors gathered around a large street memorial of flowers, signs, candles, and portraits. The memorial formed in the days after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020, at this intersection. By the time of this photograph, the crossroads had become a center for remembrance, protest, and community gathering.

Street medic at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis during protests, wearing a tan backpack with a MEDIC patch. — *May 31, 2020* — A street medic stands at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis on May 31, 2020, identified by a "MEDIC" patch on a tan backpack. The square, at the former intersection of East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, became a central gathering place after the murder of George Floyd six days earlier. Street medics worked independently during the protests to provide first aid and basic medical support to people in the area.

George Floyd mural and memorial at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis with flowers and protest signs. — *May 31, 2020* — The George Floyd mural and memorial at George Floyd Square in South Minneapolis cover the side of the Cup Foods building where Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020. The painted tribute shows his portrait framed by the words “George Floyd” and “I Can Breathe Now,” with the names of other people killed by police written behind him. Flowers, candles, signs, and handwritten messages left at the base of the wall document the site’s role as a public place of mourning and protest in the days after his death.

Woman painting "Black Lives" on the street at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis. — *May 31, 2020* — A woman paints the words “Black Lives” on the pavement at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis on May 31, 2020. The site, at the intersection of East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, became a gathering place for memorials and protest activity after the killing of George Floyd. Flowers and chalk markings visible around her reflect the informal tributes that covered the street during the early days of the memorial.

Police Chief Medaria Arradondo at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis amid a masked crowd. — *May 31, 2020* — Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo stands in a crowd at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis on May 31, 2020. George Floyd Square, at Chicago Avenue and East 38th Street, became a gathering place for memorials and protests after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020. Arradondo appears wearing a face mask during the COVID-19 pandemic as residents, activists, and media remained gathered at the site in the days after Floyd’s death.

Police Chief Medaria Arradondo speaks with residents at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis. — *May 31, 2020* — Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo speaks with residents and demonstrators at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis on May 31, 2020. The gathering took place at the intersection of Chicago Avenue and East 38th Street, where protests and memorial activity followed the killing of George Floyd days earlier. Arradondo’s visit, seen here with other uniformed officers and members of the public, came during a period of sustained scrutiny of the Minneapolis Police Department and demands for reform.

Mourners at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis surround a street memorial at East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue. — *May 31, 2020* — George Floyd Square at East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in South Minneapolis is pictured on May 31, 2020, with mourners and visitors gathered around a memorial of flowers, candles, and handwritten messages in the street. The intersection became a center of remembrance and protest after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020. Chalked statements on the pavement and offerings placed around the crossroads document how the site was being used as a community-maintained memorial in the days following his death.

Signs flowers and bears left at George Floyd memorial — *May 26, 2020* — Memorial tributes at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis fill the pavement at East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue on May 26, 2020, the day after George Floyd was killed there. Flowers, handwritten messages, stuffed animals, and signs reading “Black Lives Matter” and “My Life Matters” mark the site as mourners and demonstrators began transforming the intersection into a place of remembrance.

Mourners at the George Floyd memorial at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis. — *May 26, 2020* — A memorial to George Floyd at East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis is visited by mourners on May 26, 2020, the day after his death. Outside Cup Foods, flowers, balloons, handwritten signs, and other tributes lined the curb as the intersection became an early gathering place for grief and demands for justice. The site later became widely known as George Floyd Square.

Protesters marching down 38th Street in Minneapolis — *May 26, 2020* — Protesters gather outside Cup Foods at East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020, one day after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police at this location.

I can’t breath sign where George Floyd died — *May 26, 2020* — A memorial featuring an "I Can't Breathe" sign and an array of flowers marks the site where George Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020. This impromptu tribute is located at the intersection of E 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis, an area now widely known as George Floyd Square.

Stop letting cops be the judge jury and executioner sign — *May 26, 2020* — Protesters march on East 38th Street in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020, during demonstrations that began the day after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police. The photograph centers on a hand-lettered sign reading, “STOP LETTING THESE COPS BE THE JUDGE, JURY & EXECUTIONER,” as marchers move through the corridor toward the Third Precinct police station.

Protester holding signs at George Floyd Square — *May 26, 2020* — A protester holds a sign during a march on 38th Street in South Minneapolis on May 26, 2020. This protest took place the day after George Floyd was killed by police near the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, initiating a period of significant civil unrest and calls for justice.

Protesters gather outside of Cup Foods — *May 26, 2020* — Protesters gathered on East 38th Street outside Cup Foods in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020, the day after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis Police at this location. This initial protest marked the immediate public response to Floyd's death, which quickly escalated into a national and international movement against police brutality and systemic racism.

Proteter holds up a Black Lives Matter protest sign — *May 26, 2020* — Protesters gather on East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in South Minneapolis on May 26, 2020. This protest occurred the day after George Floyd was killed by police at this intersection, sparking widespread outrage and calls for racial justice. Participants held signs, including one stating "BLACK LIVES MATTER!! Stop the Killing!!", to voice their demands for accountability and an end to police brutality.

George Floyd Square

Minneapolis Photographer