MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — On the night after opening statements in the Derek Chauvin trial, people gathered outside the Hennepin County Government Center demanding justice for George Floyd.
A coalition of more than 20 Twin Cities organizations held the rally and march through downtown Minneapolis on Monday night.
"I don't want your charity. I don't want your sympathy. I don't want you to just care. I want you to demand to fix the justice system in this country," said Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN).
Besides justice for George Floyd, the coalition has a list of demands that includes the Minnesota legislature passing nine police reform bills. Protesters also say the people need community control of the police. They are also demanding that charges be dropped against protesters from last summer and from a November incident on I-94.
"There were many murders that happened before George Floyd that led up to George Floyd and our families were out here pleading and begging and asking the legislators to listen to us. Listen to us," said Toshira Garraway, founder of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence.
Besides speakers and a march through downtown, Locks for Loved Ones Lost put more locks up on the fencing around the Hennepin County Government Center after they were cut down.
Each lock includes the names of lives taken by police.
"People are just fed up. They're just totally fed up with senseless killings," said Lonnie Lyte, who placed a lock on the fence. "This is a hurtful day. This really is. That we have to go through these extremes to show how life matters out here. Black lives matter. I'm a homeless man out here but still... every life matters out here and these police are not right."
The coalition also protested at the start of jury selection and plans to return outside the courthouse during key parts of the trial.
The coalition includes: Anti-War Committee, Bikers Riding Against Police Brutality (BRAPB), Black Lives Matter MN, CAIR-MN, Climate Justice Committee, Communities United Against Police Brutality, Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, Freedom Road Socialist Organization - Twin Cities, Good Trouble for Justice, Locks for Loved Ones, MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee, MN Uprising Arrestee Support, MN Workers United, MN Youth for Justice, NAACP - Minneapolis, National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression, Native Lives Matter, On Site Public Media, Racial Justice Network, Student Movement Activists at South High (SMASH), Students for Democratic Society at UMN, Twin Cities Coalition 4 Justice 4 Jamar, Women Against Military Madness (WAMM).