Minneapolis Crews Remove Barricades At George Floyd Square

MINNEAPOLIS — Workers with the city of Minneapolis showed up at George Floyd Square — located at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue — and began clearing barricades Thursday morning. The intersection had been shut down for more than a year following Floyd's death outside Cup Foods while in the custody of Minneapolis police on Memorial Day 2020.

"The City is preserving the Fist sculpture roundabout there," Sarah McKenzie, a spokesperson for Minneapolis, told Patch in an email.

Thursday's clearing was facilitated in part by the Agape Movement, a group of activists that have been involved with George Floyd Square, according to city officials.

"The Agape Movement brought together community leadership to begin facilitating the phased reconnection this morning, with the City playing a supportive role," Mayor Jacob Frey, City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins and City Council Member Alondra Cano said in a joint statement Thursday.

"We are grateful for the partnership."

Frey, Jenkins, and Cano said the city is "committed to establishing a permanent memorial at the intersection, preserving the artwork, and making the area an enduring space for racial healing," the statement continued."

Also read: Man Used Ax To Vandalize George Floyd Square, Video Shows