Demonstrators have gathered outside the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis every day since the Derek Chauvin trial started on March 29.
On Friday, the courthouse featured a smaller crowd than in the past, but three demonstrators have shown up every day of the trial.
“I show up for myself, because George’s life matters, just like Daunte’s life matters,” Ashley Dorelus said. “Police officers constantly keep telling us that they fear for their life. And in reality, we fear for our lives. And yet we don’t have the opportunity to defend ourselves.”
Dorelus and Chris Tuite have been across the country this past year attending demonstrations for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain and many others. The two are from California, but said the journey has been worth it to stand up for Black men and women who have lost their lives due to police brutality.
“We’re here as American people, but now it’s looking like a military state,” Dorelus said. “They have troopers and tanks on every corner and every crevice of (the city) all because of what? We are trying to hold officers accountable.”
Dorelus said her motivation for continuing to come to protests has been to show people that Black lives matter.
Plywood boards along U.S. Bank Plaza have a variety of Black Lives Matter messages from protesters. (Casey Eakins/TommieMedia)
“The (people) that come by every morning… When they see us there, whether it’s snowing, whether it’s raining, that’s what gives us our motivation, because people can act like Black lives matter, but we show it,” Dorelus said.
Tuite has taken a long stop in Minnesota because he said the protests are directly against the departments and will lead to the most change.
“It’s impactful because the change is right there. It’s like right there at the front door,” Tuite said.
While in Louisville, Kentucky on the anniversary of Breonna Taylor’s death, Tuite said it was moving to see families come together who have had the same experiences. A memorial for all who have died due to police brutality was featured at the Breonna Taylor anniversary demonstration.
“It was a really special thing because it all comes full circle when you realize that these families, they never met each other ever but they’re family now. And that’s such an important thing through all this, having people to fight with,” Tuite said.
On the Hennepin County Government Center fence, demonstrators placed locks with the names George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and many others, but those locks were cut down by officers. Tuite explained that not having those names on the fence has taken away from the fact that there are more names than George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
“Those are stories and all these names you don’t know and I don’t know, are sad,” Tuite said. “That’s the sad part about it is there’s a lot of George Floyds; there’s a lot of Breonna Taylors. And those two specifically are leading the ability to be able to have their names said and have, hopefully, justice.”
Tuite, a white male, said that it is important to let the voices of Black people in America speak during these protests.
“All I can say is listen,” Tuite said. “They have a lot to say about their experiences that we can never experience as a white person in America. We don’t have those experiences, all we can do is listen.”
Tuite and Dorelus plan to keep going to the Hennepin County Government Center until the Chauvin trial is over. Dorelus said she wants to see things change beyond the trial and for people to act on what these protests are all about.
“It is the Black liberation movement. Black Lives Matter was hijacked. I don’t need y’all to tell me my life matters. I know my life matters. I need you to prove it to me,” Dorelus said.
Scout Mason can be reached at maso7275@stthomas.edu.
Casey Eakins can be reached at casey.eakins@stthomas.edu.