Americans eagerly awaiting a verdict in Derek Chauvin's case responded with joy and relief on Tuesday after a judge found a former Minneapolis police officer guilty of killing George Floyd during his arrest last May.
But the excitement of the outcome of the trial, which lasted almost a year of social unrest, racial tensions and political tensions over Floyd's assassination, was fueled by calls for continued anti-inequality that pervaded the U.S. justice system.
In George Floyd Square, at a crossroads in Minneapolis named after a 46-year-old Black man who died with his rope pinned to a street below Cauvin's knee, crowds roared, cheered and applauded over the guilty verdict.
The square has been a hotbed of protest since Floyd's death, making him the face of a nation plagued by racial injustice and police brutality.
His death words, "I can't breathe," are remembered in street protests against his assassination that shocked the United States and the country last year amid coronavirus infection.
"I can breathe," said Lynea Bellfield, 43, a black man who also joined the festival on stage. "Sounds like the beginning of something special. I had to bring my grandchildren to see it."
A brass band was playing in the church car park as a few hundred were grinding in a square where a large wooden box box surrounded by flower beds and statues of Floyd and other Black people were killed by police.
A 12-member judge found Chavin, 45, guilty of three counts of murder and two counts of murder - after hearing three weeks of evidence and deliberating for just over 10 hours.
"I'm glad we don't have to go through town," said Rhya Moore, 30, standing across the street from the Cups Foods store where Floyd is accused of trying to pass a $ 20 counterfeit bill before he was arrested. “This is a blessing in disguise.
WITHOUT MINNEAPOLIS
The decision has brought happy street people and motorists to the major cities of the U.S., including Washington and New York City, according to media reports. In Brooklyn, a crowd gathered outside Barclays Center to celebrate.
Tears welled up in the eyes of Chris Dixon, a 41-year-old resident of Black Minneapolis, when he heard a verdict with a crowd outside the Hennepin County court where the trial was taking place.
"As a country we have no history of police being held accountable. And if you are a Black person, it is difficult to deal with swallowing every day," Dixon said.
The decision brought new hope, he said. "Not only black people, but people of all races and cultures have said this is just unacceptable."
For many, the feeling of happiness was interrupted, however, by the tragedy of Floyd's death and the realization that racial inequality remains deeply entrenched in American society.
Protesters outside the court have called for more focus on the prosecution of another Minnesota police officer, Kimberly Potter, who is charged with murder after shooting a young Black driver, Daunte Wright, during a car stop on April 11 a few miles from the Brooklyn Center area. .
"Judge, convict, send these policemen to prison. The whole process is guilty," the protesters said. Some took the highway in front of the court, blocking traffic.
Officials at the Brooklyn Center, which had been in a state of panic over the protests between protesters and police following Wright's death, put it at 11 p.m. Time to get home on Tuesday.
The early reaction was also painful in Floyd's hometown of Houston, where a childhood friend, Travis Cain, said it was important for Cauvin to be fully convicted.
"African Americans want to be treated as human beings. That's all we ask - is that too much?" Cain told Reuters. "We are tired of all this police brutality that has been going on for years, we are tired of these community criminals."
Authorities in Minnesota and other areas were preparing to release the outrage that was expected if a judge could release Cauvin or be detained in court.
Citing "the threat of civil unrest," Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Monday declared a state of emergency in the city of Minneapolis and called for security assistance in other states.
Many Chicago businesses climb their windows in anticipation of a possible disruption. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday signed an "anti-violence" law into law, imposing severe penalties on people found engaging in violent protests. He then saw his anticipation of a possible collapse resulting from Chavin's decision.
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