It's been nearly a year since the murder of George Floyd. The effect on the nation continues.
The incident led to a lot of anger. But while many were angered over the long documented history of racial bias in law enforcement, others were enraged a spotlight was shined on racism.
In a security video shared widely online, a White man tried to dismantle the memorial set up for George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is seen in the video trying to tear down Black Lives Matter signs and even taking an ax to the structure at the center of the memorial.
You can see footage here:
Just why.https://www.tmz.com/2021/05/17/man-vandalizes-george-floyd-square-minneapolis-memorial-axe/\u00a0\u2026— Brittney Cottingham (@Brittney Cottingham) 1621297675
I don\u2019t understand why anyone would do thathttps://twitter.com/Complex/status/1394695444178087938\u00a0\u2026— Divineee (@Divineee) 1621357655
The caucacity https://twitter.com/tmz/status/1394591109133766659\u00a0\u2026— Oscar \ud83d\udc7d (@Oscar \ud83d\udc7d) 1621342638
The video was shared to the Reddit board for Minneapolis, as well as the Instagram page for the ongoing protest zone for George Floyd.
In the video, a White man pulled up in a truck, dressed in a dark t-shirt, jeans, and dark shoes. He stepped out of the vehicle, leaving the lights on, and began trying to tear down signs and structures.
He then went back to his truck and grabbed an ax from the back.
He took the ax to the building in the center of the memorial.
Hatred on this planet is Unfathomable— Blue October (@Blue October) 1621371028
Mayonnaise warriors never rest Chilehttps://twitter.com/TMZ/status/1394591109133766659\u00a0\u2026— c: \u2790 (@c: \u2790) 1621331443
Clearly...— Whitney (@Whitney) 1621302346
The man's attack continued, with him breaking into the building and pulling out items. He eventually walked in and started throwing out everything he could.
The man was undisturbed for a few minutes while he defaced the memorial. However, it didn't remain like this.
Soon, people began shouting at him, causing the man to become frightened and quickly walk back to his truck. He left his ax behind.
A number of commenters hope it can be used to identify the man.
Hideous person. Arrest him.\n\n\u2018Imagine being so full of hate\u2019: Video shows white man destroying George Floyd memorial with axhttps://flip.it/.BF4m3— EyeSpyPhotosLeah (@EyeSpyPhotosLeah) 1621297856
C'mon Twitter people. Do your magic. Who is this fool? He did leave his axe behind. Fingerprints?— Jerry sipe (@Jerry sipe) 1621306826
This infuriates me.\n\nA man destroyed #BlackLivesMatter signs and structures in George Floyd Square in Minneapolis. \n\nThe ax he used looks similar to a fireman\u2019s ax, possibly hinting at his background as a firefighter or police officer.\n#DemVoice1https://www.dailydot.com/irl/video-george-floyd-memorial-ax/\u00a0\u2026— FaceOfBlackUSA (@FaceOfBlackUSA) 1621384381
200percent.— Corey Zipperer (@Corey Zipperer) 1621358384
Last month, former police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder among other charges in the killing of George Floyd. The murder last year sparked nationwide protests as multiple incidents of unarmed Black men being killed by the police reenergized movements to hold authorities accountable.
However, many still rail against the justice system holding Chauvin accountable, with police departments and police unions showing support for the convicted murderer.
