They Come for Justice

The trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd lasted from March 8 to April 20, 2021. Livestreamed on phones, laptops, and TVs across the world, the proceedings became a defining moment for the modern American civil rights movement. In many ways, the trial served as a litmus test for the future of police accountability in the United States, where annually fewer than 2% of the roughly 1,000 officers involved in fatal shootings of citizens—who are disproportionately Black and brown—face criminal charges let alone convictions. Surrounded by fencing and concrete barricades, barbed wire and National Guard troops, the Hennepin County Government Center—the site of the trial—became a kind of fortress unlike anything Minneapolis had seen before. From the outset, residents and activists peacefully protested outside of the building as they demanded justice for Floyd and convictions for Chauvin. Rallies and marches were organized, streets blocked, art installations erected (and removed by police), and space held by those looking to grieve and stand in community with others. All the while, fit in between the rallies and marches, mourners also sought solace at George Floyd Square, a semi-autonomous zone a the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, where Floyd was killed. On April 20, after ten hours of deliberation, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all three charges, including second-degree murder, with Chauvin facing a sentence of up to 40 years in prison. That night and into the following day, celebrations were held throughout the city, culminating in an hours-long jamboree of relief and loss and perseverance at George Floyd Square. They Come for Justice depicts the duration of the trial as well as the one-year anniversary of Floyd's murder from the vantage point of the community as it struggled to cope with and overcome the ongoing trauma of centuries of state violence.