WHAT'S UP, JEFF?
REPORTER: I'M AT A PLACE OF
CALMNESS AND PEACE AND
REFLECTION.
IT'S WHERE GEORGE FLOYD DIED.
IT'S A PLACE WHERE THE
EMOTIONAL SIDE OF THIS IS SHOWN
WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL MURAL.
I'VE BEEN COMING TO THIS
INTERSECTION SINCE TUESDAY AND
WATCHING IT GROW EACH DAY AS
PEOPLE COME HERE TO PAY THEIR
RESPECTS.
IT'S INCREDIBLE.
IT'S COLORFUL.
IT BRINGS A SENSE OF CALM THAT
MANY OF US HAVEN'T BEEN FEELING
IN THE CITY WHEN YOU SEE WHAT'S
HAPPENING HERE.
ANOTHER REMINDER, THERE'S A
CURFEW TONIGHT.
YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING EVERYTHING
AROUND THE CITY.
THE CURFEW UNIQUELY HASN'T BEEN
ENFORCED FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN
TOLD AT THIS INTERSECTION.
THERE'S BEEN PEOPLE GATHERING
HERE ALL NITE.
THERE ARE MAKESHIFT BARRIERS
PREVENTING VEHICLES FROM
DRIVING THROUGH THE
INTERSECTION.
NOT SET UP BY ANYBODY BY THE
PEOPLE OF THIS COMMUNITY.
LET'S SEE.
PLEASE, I CAN'T BREATHE.
THEY'RE GOING TO KILL ME.
JUSTICE FOR GEORGE.
SAY THEIR NAMES.
NAMES THAT YOU'RE GOING TO
RECOGNIZE IN THE MINNESOTA
COMMUNITY.
JAMAR CLARK, ERIC GARNER,
TRAYVON MARTIN, AHMAUD ARBERY,
PHILANDO CASTILLE.
THESE ARE THE REMINDERS THAT
EVERYONE THAT CAME BEFORE
GEORGE FLOYD IS PART OF THIS
MOVEMENT OF CHANGE FOR THE
COMMUNITY, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN
COMMUNITY, AND THE SYSTEMIC
ISSUES THAT EXIST BETWEEN LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND HOW PEOPLE OF
COLOR ARE TREATED.
AGAIN, THERE'S A UNIQUENESS TO
WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE.
AMIDST THE CHAOS HAPPENING ALL
4 DAYS GOING BACK TO TUESDAY,
THE ONE CONSTANT OF CALM HAS
BEEN HERE.
I WATCHED IN THIS INTERSECTION,
THE FIRST DAY ON TUESDAY WHEN
PEOPLE USED CHALK, BUT THEN IT
POURED RAIN.
SO PEOPLE CAME BACK
WEDNESDAY -- OKAY, I'M NOT SURE
WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, BUT
A COUPLE OF CARS HAVE GONE
AROUND ONE OF THE BARRIERS
HERE.
[ SCREAMING ]
HOLD YOUR GROUND!
REPORTER: I'M NOT SURE
WHAT'S HAPPENING.
THE UNIQUE IRONY OF ME CALLING
THIS THE MOST PEACEFUL CORNER
IN MINNEAPOLIS, AND THE SECOND
WE GO LIVE A COUPLE CARS DRIVE
THROUGH AND PEOPLE SCATTER.
I THINK THERE'S FRUSTRATION
FROM PEOPLE NOT ONLY THAT THE
CARS CAME THROUGH, BUT THAT
PEOPLE RAN.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN STANDING HERE,
OF COURSE, RIGHT BEFORE OUR
CAMERAS TURNED ON, THERE'S
MUSIC PLAYING, PEOPLE ARE JUST
LEANING ON EACH OTHER.
TUESDAY EVENING, THIS
INTERSECTION, PEOPLE DID CHALK
ARTWORK TO EXPLAIN HOW THEY
FELT.
THEY CAME OUT WEDNESDAY WITH
ACTUAL PAINT AFTER IT RAINED.
AS I WALKED ACROSS HERE ON
THURSDAY, A MAN SAID AS HE
STEPPED OVER THE WORDS, HE SAID
WE'RE WALKING OVER HISTORY.
WE'RE WALKING OVER HISTORY
RIGHT NOW.
EVEN WHEN THE FLOWERS ARE
CLEARED AND THE GRAFFITI IS
PAINTED OVER, MAYBE THAT MURAL,
AND OF COURSE THE PAINT HERE ON
THIS PAVEMENT, IF IT REMAINS,
IT WILL BE A CONSTANT REMAINDER
FOR THE DAYS GOING FORWARD.
WE CONTINUE ACROSS CHICAGO
AVENUE RIGHT NOW.
LARGE GROUPS PROTESTING HERE --
SORRY ABOUT THAT.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE CERTAIN
EMOTIONS ABOUT EVERYTHING
THAT'S HAPPENING.
SHOWING YOU RIGHT HERE THIS
IMMEDIATE AREA ALONG THE CURB
OUTSIDE WHERE THE DEADLY ARREST
OCCURRED.
THIS IS WHERE THE MEMORIAL
BEGAN.
BUT THE AMOUNT OF FLOWERS AND
POSTERS HAS CONTINUED ALL
ACROSS THE SIDEWALK.
IF IT WAS MID-AFTERNOON RIGHT
NOW, THERE WOULD BE A TABLE
SET
UP SERVING PEOPLE FOOD.
THIS HAS BECOME A BEACON OF
CALMNESS AND PEACE FOR A
COMMUNITY THAT'S FELT UNREST
ALL ACROSS THE CITY.
A PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO LEAN ON
EACH OTHER WITH ALL THOSE
EMOTIONS THEY'RE FEELING
WHETHER IT'S ANGER,
FRUSTRATION, PAIN.
THAT'S WHAT I'VE SEEN AT THIS
SPECIFIC INTERSECTION.
IT'S SOMETHING I THINK THE
COMMUNITY AT LARGE NEEDS TO
SEE.
WHEN YOU HAVE THE HELICOPTERS
ON HIGH, THEY MIGHT OVERLOOK
THIS PORTION HERE.
BUT THERE HAVE BEEN PEACEFUL
PROTESTS, AND IT TELLS YOU
SOMETHING AMIDST THIS CURFEW,
THIS IS WHERE PEOPLE ARE STILL
ABLE TO MEET AND NOT HASSLED BY
OFFICERS.
NO ONE WAS RIOTING OR LOOTING,
AND THE STATE PATROLMEN STARTED
SHOOTING TEAR GAS.
WHILE WE WERE BREAKING CURFEW,
EVERYONE WAS BEING PEACEFUL, SO
WE WERE CONFUSED.
HERE AT THIS INTERSECTION WE'RE
BREAKING CURFEW AND BEING
PEACEFUL, AND IT'S GONE
UNTOUCHED THROUGHOUT THE
EVENING.
I THINK THAT SAYS SOMETHING
ABOUT THE SPOT WE'RE STANDING
RIGHT NOW.
NOT ONLY TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT
EVEN SOME UNDERSTANDING OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND UNWRITTEN RULE
ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS HERE AS THEY
TRY TO ENFORCE THE CURFEW
AROUND THE CITY.
THE OTHER THING IS WE WERE
TALKING TO PAT EARLIER ABOUT
THE AMOUNT OF POLICE YOU NEED
TO STOP THE RIOTING, AND HE
SAID THERE'S A SOCIAL CONTRACT
IN PLACE.
A CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS --
REPORTER: SORRY FRANK, I
LOST THE SIGNAL, BUT I'LL GET
YOU BACK IN A QUICK MOMENT.
YOU SAID PAT KESSLER SAID WHAT
NOW?
I THINK THERE'S SOME
UNWRITTEN RULES WHEN YOU TALK
ABOUT SOCIAL CONTRACTS.
WE REALIZE WE NEEDED 4100
NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS TO PUT AN
END OF THIS, BUT WE'D NEVER
HAVE THAT MANY POLICE NORMALLY
BECAUSE PEOPLE FOLLOW RULES AND
JUST BEHAVE.
SO THE UNWRITTEN RULE OF THIS
PLACE IS THOSE FLOWERS ARE LAID
OUT SO ORDERLY, THE CANDLES ARE
LAID OUT SO ORDERLY.
THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT COULD
HAVE LIT BUILDINGS ON FIRE AND
SMASHED WINDOWS, BUT THERE'S A
CONTRACT IN PLACE THERE, I'M
NOT GOING TO DISRUPT THAT
PLACE.
REPORTER: RIGHT, AND IT'S A
CONTRACT THE COMMUNITY
UNDERSTANDS AROUND HERE BECAUSE
THEY'RE THE ONES TO PROTECT IT,
AND IT APPEARS TO BE A CONTRACT
THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT KNOWS AS
WELL.
IN THE SEVERAL DAYS I'VE BEEN
COMING TO THIS LOCATION, IT'S
THE COMMUNITY THAT SETS UP THE
ROAD BLOCK AND GIVE PEOPLE
WATER AND KEEP THEM FED.
THEY HAVE THE GRILL SET UP.
THERE'S A CERTAIN UNDERSTANDING
HERE.
THEY CONTROL THE TRAFFIC.
I THINK IF PEOPLE WANT TO VISIT
LOCATIONS IN MINNEAPOLIS AND
SEE WHAT'S HAPPENED TO THIS
COMMUNITY, DON'T STOP ONLY AT
THE 5th PRECINCT OR 3rd
PRECINCT TO SEE THE DESTRUCTION
THE COMMUNITY HAS EXPERIENCED.
COME TO THE INTERSECTION OF
38th AND CHICAGO AND
UNDERSTAND THE ROOT AND PAIN
AND IT TELLS YOU THIS COMMUNITY
HAS KEPT IT AS IT IS TO ALLOW
PEOPLE TO ALSO SHARE IN THOSE
FEELINGS WHEN THEY NEED TO.
I KNOW, WHEN WE CAME TO YOU
EARLIER IT WAS CALM --
REPORTER: HOLD ON, I DON'T
HAVE THE SIGNAL.
I'M STILL WITH YOU IF YOU WANT
TO REPEAT WHAT YOU WERE SAYING.
IT'S AMELIA, I JUST WANTED
THE SAY I KNOW WHEN WE CAME TO
YOU IT WAS RELATIVELY QUIET,
AND THEN YOU SAID THAT EARLIER
THERE WAS A LITTLE MUSIC
PLAYING.
ARE THEY GOING BACK TO THAT
NOW?
I NOW THERE WAS A LITTLE RUCKUS
BECAUSE SOMEONE HAD BROKEN THE
BARRIER.
REPORTER: I'M NOT SURE.
I THINK THE FACT THAT A COUPLE
OF VEHICLES PASSED THROUGH.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT KIND OF
CONFUSED THE CROWD HERE AND
SENT SOME PEOPLE RUNNING.
BUNS THEY REALIZED IT MIGHT
HAVE JUST BEEN SOME PEOPLE
BREAKING THROUGH THAT SHOULDN'T
HAVE, EVERYONE RETURNED TO HOW
IT WAS.
CALM, PEACEFUL, THERE'S MEDIA
HERE WHO AREN'T BEING HASSLED.
IT'S JUST DIFFERENT IN THIS
AREA.
SOME PEOPLE DO FEEL ANGRY, AND
THAT'S UNDERSTANDABLE.
BUT THERE'S LOTS OF EMOTIONS
PEOPLE ARE FEELING AND THEY'RE
EXPRESSING IT.
BUT MOSTLY PEACE AND CALM.
QUITE A DIFFERENCE FROM
EARLIER.
AND YOU RAN THE GAMUT OF
EMOTIONS WITH PROTESTERS
TONIGHT, HAVEN'T YOU?
REPORTER: YEAH, ONE OF THE
UNIQUE ASPECTS WAS SHOCK
BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE WERE BEING
PEACEFUL, THAT'S WHEN THE TEAR
GAS CAME AND THOSE THINGS
OCCURRED.
BUT EVER SINCE THIS BEGAN, YOU
KNOW, WHEN THAT FIRST PROTEST
HAPPENED ON TUESDAY IT WAS
SCHEDULED FOR HERE AT
5:00 BEFORE THINGS TOOK A TURN
VIOLENTLY.
I CAME BACK WEDNESDAY, AND WE
MAINTAINED SHOWING EVERYBODY,
WE DO HAVE LAW ENFORCEMENT
COMING ON CHICAGO AVENUE RIGHT
NOW.
ARE THEY COMING TO BREAK
EVERYBODY UP?
REPORTER: IT APPEARS AS
THOUGH, I WILL SAY THAT A GOOD
HANDFUL OF OFFICERS WEARING
THE
RIOT GEAR HAVE EXITED OUT OF
VANS AND ARE LINING UP.
I CAN'T HEAR SO MUCH WHAT
THEY'RE SAYING, IF THEY'RE
ANNOUNCING ANYTHING ON THE LOUD
SPEAKERS.
SIR, ARE YOU HEARING THEM
ANNOUNCE ANYTHING AT THIS
MOMENT?
CAN YOU HEAR THEM?
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AROUND?
REPORTER: SIR, HAVE YOU SEEN
LAW ENFORCEMENT AT ALL IN THIS
AREA SINCE YOU'VE BEEN HERE?
JUST NOW.
I JUST GOT BACK HERE.
WE MARCHED EARLIER, AND THEY
SURROUNDED US ON EVERY BLOCK
AND SHOT AT US ON EVERY BLOCK,
AND WE STAYED PEACEFUL.
WE DIDN'T LOOT, WE DIDN'T DO
ANYTHING WRONG AT ALL.
THEY'VE BEEN LITERALLY SHOOTING
AT US SINCE THE BEGINNING, AND
WE'VE BEEN PEACEFUL THE WHOLE
TIME.
THE GUARDS JUST POINTED THEIR
GUNS AT US PASSING BY, AND I
HAD TO FINGERS IN THE AIR
SAYING PEACE.
REPORTER: WHAT MADE YOU WANT
TO COME BACK TO THIS SPOT, HOW
DID YOU FIND YOURSELF BACK
HERE?
BECAUSE WE WERE TOLD THEY
WERE HERE BEING PEACEFUL.
WE WANTED TO STAND WITH THEM IN
SOLIDARITY.
WE WANTED THE STAND WITH THEM.
LOOK.
THIS IS WHAT THEY DO.
REPORTER: WE HAVE LAW
ENFORCEMENT COMING FROM ANOTHER
DIRECTION NOW.
YOU KNOW, DESPITE EVERYTHING WE
HAD JUST DISCUSSED OVER THE
LAST FEW MINUTES, IT APPEARS
THINGS HAVE CHANGED WHEN IT
COMES TO ENFORCEMENT OF CURFEW,
AND WE'RE BEING SHOT AT.
ALL RIGHT, JEFF.
REPORTER: THINGS HAVE
CHANGED IN THIS IMMEDIATE AREA.
WE'RE GETTING OUT NOW.
WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU.
REPORTER: CARS ARE RUSHING
THROUGH.
ALL RIGHT, GO, JEFF.
I HOPE HE GETS SOMEWHERE SAFE.
I KNOW EARLIER ONE OF OUR
PHOTOGRAPHERS WAS HIT IN THE
LEG WITH A RUBBER BULLET.
AND GOT ARRESTED.
ARRESTED TOO.
BUT AS WE SAW, WE SAW TWO
GIRLS, ONE HER NOSE BLEEDING,
THE OTHER HIT IN THE EYE.
I THINK SOME OF ISSUE THERE,
I'M NOT SURE.
I WONDER IF THEY'D BE OKAY IF
IT WAS JUST 2 OR 3 PEOPLE.
BUT THEY SEE 15 AND THEY'RE
LIKE YOU KNOW THE RULES, THE
RULES ARE 8:00, YOU'RE DONE.
I DON'T KNOW
AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE
PEOPLE WHO GO, AND THEY'RE THE
ONES RIOTING AND LOOTING AND
STARTING FIRES, THEY HAVE NOW
TAKEN AWAY FROM THESE PEOPLE
WHO WANTED TO JUST HAVE A
PEACEFUL PROTEST.
WE HEARD THAT GENTLEMAN WHO
SAID OPEN HE WANTS TO STAND IN
SOLIDARITY.
THEY'VE TAKEN THAT AWAY.