Thousands gathered in front of the governor’s residence in St. Paul late Monday afternoon to demand justice for George Floyd. Governor Tim Walz was at the rally but said it was not his place to speak, he was there to listen. Walz “I can hear the pain in a large group of people and amongst the families, they don’t trust a system that doesn’ serve them and they deserve to be heard…I’ve been given the responsibility of being governor and they expect change and that’s what I’m here to listen to.” Walz went on to say “I can give them the assurance that I can do everything in my power and I think that’s the thing in the system we need to make sure, but they don’t want to hear about that and so that’s my job to use the skills I have and the authority I have to get that done.” Activists are offering criticism of the police and voicing strong concerns about Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman and Attorney General Keith Ellison’s ability to prosecute the officers involved in Floyd’s death. They’re calling for an independent prosecutor in the case.
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