Americans took to the streets in enormous numbers over the weekend, as they continued to exercise their First Amendment rights in the wake of the death of George Floyd.
Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin several weeks ago after Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly 9 minutes. For several of those minutes, it is clear that Floyd is already dead.
The gruesome nature of George Floyd’s death sent the nation into a rage and there were soon hundreds upon hundreds of protests popping up around the country. While a majority of the crowds have been individuals hoping to lend their support, there are a few groups who are vying for leadership in the cause who are calling for radical changes across America.
It appears as though Minneapolis is heeding that call.
Nine members of the Minneapolis City Council on Sunday announced they intend to defund and dismantle the city’s police department following the police killing of George Floyd.
“We committed to dismantling policing as we know it in the city of Minneapolis and to rebuild with our community a new model of public safety that actually keeps our community safe,” Council President Lisa Bender told CNN.
With nine votes the city council would have a veto-proof supermajority of the council’s 13 members, Bender said.
In other parts of the country, police departments were similarly eyeing a radical shift in how they operate, particularly as it pertains to physically restraining suspects and using chemical agents against protesters.
