Minneapolis cops tear gas protesters who lit FIRES as workers dismantled George Floyd Square

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Minneapolis police fired tear gas last night as riots broke out in the city after barriers were dismantled in George Floyd Square and a black man who allegedly pulled a gun was shot dead.

The suspect was shot dead by a US Marshals task force attempted to haul him in on a state warrant at around 2pm on Thursday in the Uptown neighborhood.

The man, who was in a parked car, ‘produced a handgun resulting in task force members firing upon the subject,’ Hennepin County Sheriff’s Department said.

Officers attempted to revive the man but he died at the scene. 

The shooting came on the same day crews in Minneapolis began to dismantle concrete barriers which had been placed around the so-called ‘autonomous zone’ of George Floyd Square since he was killed in May 2020.

Community activists were already rallying the Square and erecting makeshift barriers that day when news of the shooting in Uptown broke.

The demonstration rapidly descended into a destructive riot, with dumpster fires lit in the streets and abuse hurled at police officers who fired tear gas on the crowds.  

Infighting and looting broke out as the streets remained filled with protesters until at least 2am, as police officers stood guard outside businesses to prevent further damage to property. 

Protesters angry over his death barricaded off Lake Street and Girard Avenue before starting the fire while police allegedly failed to respond for more than 40 minutes as the fire raged, according to independent journalist Rebecca Brannon.  

Brannon shared a video on Twitter in which a woman is heard telling protesters to ‘stop burning s**t.’

‘Stop burning s**t because if you keep burning s**t they’re going to bring in the marshals again. Stop. Y’all organized, right, that’s what you think? Who out here is a Black Panther out here, raise your hand,’ the woman says in the video.

Some cars and motorcycles joined protesters in blocking off the intersection, Brannon reported, later noting that police arrived and started attempting to surround the protesters.

Brannon filmed the moment police began ‘aggressively’ moving in on protesters, shooting tear gas into the intersection to clear them out. She noted that some arrests were made, though details of those arrests were not immediately known.

Firefighters were later filmed extinguishing the fire and cleaning up the intersection. 

The riot came after crews began dismantling George Floyd Square in the early hours of Thursday morning, surprising many residents waking up. 

Crews removed concrete barriers as well as artwork, flowers and other memorial items from the intersection where Floyd was murdered last year. 

A fist sculpture, which stands several feet tall and created a traffic roundabout, will remain in the middle of the intersection.  

The removal of barriers means traffic can once again begin to flow through the intersection, although for now the fist statue will serve as a makeshift roundabout.   

Within four hours, work in the area was complete, though protesters spent time shouting ‘no justice, no peace’ during some of the dismantling. 

Additionally, two news photographers trying to document what was taking place were met with resistance, with one being threatened physically. 

After the square was cleared, many people remained in the area to observe what had just taken place, although the dismantling passed-off peacefully, with community group members and protesters later seen eating coffee and donuts. 

The garden that was in front of the sculpture will be moved to another location nearby, a community spokesperson said. 

A joint statement was issued by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins and City Council Member Alondra Cano.

‘The City’s three guiding principles for the reconnection of 38th and Chicago have been community safety, racial healing and economic stability and development for Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian and other communities of color,’ the statement reads.

‘The Agape Movement brought together community leadership to begin facilitating the phased reconnection this morning, with the City playing a supportive role. We are grateful for the partnership.

‘We are collectively committed to establishing a permanent memorial at the intersection, preserving the artwork, and making the area an enduring space for racial healing.’

The statement concludes: ‘Alongside City leadership, we have met on a regular basis with community members to discuss both the short-term path toward reconnecting this area and the long-term plan for the neighborhood with sustained investments to help restore and heal the community.’ 

In the past, Mayor Jacob Frey has called for a ‘phased reopening’ of the square. 

The intersection at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue has been closed to traffic and became a primary gathering place for those mourning Floyd’s death.

The community group Agape, which contracted with the city to keep watch over the area, worked to coordinate the effort, according to city spokeswoman Sarah McKenzie. 

Agape told KTSP that the the barricades were being removed for security purposes, as well as to promote community healing. 

‘There’s a chance and a time for this community to get back to a new normal. That’s what we’re trying to establish,’ Agape Senior Advisor Steve Floyd told FOX 9. 

The area – which some locals tried to declare an autonomous zone – has seen a spike in gun violence in recent months, with shooting victims dragged to ambulances that were unable to get into the square because of the barriers.  

‘The fist sculpture is going to remain in the roundabout,’ McKenzie told the Star Tribune. 

Police spokesman John Elder said that the police are not playing a role in the clearing of George Floyd Square. 

But KARE 11 saw officers gathering in a nearby parking lot by 7:30am local time, in case tensions became too high.

Otherwise, Agape was responsible for de-escalating any incidents taking place at the square.

As for the set-up around the sculpture itself, there are set to be ‘bumpouts’ around the sculpture, according to a city official, rather than the concrete barriers once there. 

A more permanent solution regarding the memorial is being discussed between the city, community members, and Floyd’s family. 

Some neighborhood residents and others have expressed frustration that the intersection has been closed to private and transit vehicles for nearly a year.

A bus route that went through the intersection has been unusable for a year, though service may be restored soon after the square is cleared. 

That’s set to change soon, with Minneapolis Public Works employees spotted adding signage around the fist sculpture to signify the new roundabout.

Additionally, barriers are being added near Cup Foods for those intending to visit. 

It’s not clear if the mayor or city council were aware of the fact that the clearing was going to take place at dawn on Thursday.

The city attorney for Minneapolis previously said that the city council and mayor would likely need to be the ones to approve of reopening the intersection.

DailyMail.com has reached out to the mayor’s office for comment. 

Agape Movement adviser Steve Floyd is among those who support the memorial being scaled back, and told The New York Times: ‘We can focus on other things. We got to keep moving.’

A spokesman for Cup Foods – the nearby convenience store where Floyd was arrested after paying with a fake $20 bill – also backed the changes.

Jamar Nelson said: ‘Businesses can once again thrive. Now hopefully a memorial can be put in place, to respect the Floyd family and the community.’

And City of Minneapolis spokesman Sarah McKenzie said many other locals supported the move. She explained: ‘We certainly acknowledge this intersection will never return to normal, but we’ve heard from residents and businesses that really need to reconnect their neighborhood.’ 

On Twitter, many raged at the dismantling of the square – with some even claiming it was ‘violence.’     

George Floyd Square was the site of a shooting on the anniversary of Floyd’s death last month.

Multiple gunshots were fired in an alleged fight over parking near the George Floyd Square in Minneapolis as people marked the first anniversary of his death.  

Associated Press Journalist Philip Crowther was shooting live video near the square when shots were heard about a block east of the intersection where he was posted. Crowther said a storefront window appeared to have been broken by a gunshot.

His video from the scene showed people running to seek cover as at least 30 shots rang out. The shooting came just hours before the square is to be the site of what’s billed as a family-friendly street festival marking the anniversary of Floyd’s death at the hands of police. 

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted in April of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for pressing his knee against Floyd’s neck for about 9 1/2 minutes as Floyd pleaded for air while handcuffed face down on the street.

Chauvin has also been indicted on federal charges alleging he violated Floyd’s civil rights, as well as the civil rights of a 14-year-old he restrained in a 2017 arrest.

The three other former Minneapolis police officers involved in Floyd’s death were also charged with federal civil rights violations. They await trial in state court on aiding and abetting counts.