Minneapolis City Council approves renaming portion of street to honor George Floyd

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved the renaming of three blocks of the city’s Chicago Avenue to honor George Floyd, whose May 25 death at the hands of police launched nationwide protests for racial justice and against police brutality.

The city will now refer to the blocks of Chicago Avenue between 37th and 39th streets as George Perry Floyd Jr. Place. A sign to be installed at the intersection of 38th and Chicago, where Floyd drew his last breath, will mark the commemorative designation, the Star Tribune reported.

Floyd, a Black man who was handcuffed, died when Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, knelt for nearly nine minutes on his neck despite Floyd’s repeated cries of being unable to breathe. His death, captured on bystander video, ignited global protests against police brutality and systemic racism, The Guardian reported.

Minneapolis City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins, who represents the area, thanked her colleagues for recognizing “this tragic event that has really impacted our entire world” with their Friday vote, the Star Tribune reported.

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