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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey faced criticism on Monday following a social media post commemorating George Floyd. Floyd’s death on Memorial Day six years ago sparked national protests, riots, and demands for police reform.
Frey took to X, stating, “Today, we remember George Floyd, who was murdered by a former Minneapolis police officer six years ago. That moment changed our city forever.”
In further comments, Frey reflected on how Floyd’s death compelled Minneapolis to confront difficult issues surrounding race, policing, inequality, and trust. He emphasized that this tragic event required the city to not only talk about change but to demonstrate it concretely.
Frey also expressed a commitment to honoring the site of Floyd’s death as both a globally significant memorial and a vital neighborhood space where people come to live, work, gather, and heal.
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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey received criticism after honoring George Floyd in a social media post on Memorial Day. (AP Images; Getty Images)
Floyd died from cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression after being pinned to the ground by officers outside a convenience store where he allegedly tried to pass a counterfeit $20 bill.
Four police officers, including Derek Chauvin, were sentenced to prison over Floyd’s death. Chauvin pinned Floyd to the ground with his knee on his neck for around nine minutes.
Frey’s post immediately received criticism given that Monday was also Memorial Day.
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“Newsflash: Today is Memorial Day, not George Floyd Day. Show our fallen heroes and their families some freaking respect,” wrote State Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla. “You’re a complete disgrace to America, @MayorFrey.”
Others noted that Floyd’s death triggered destructive riots across the country where stores and buildings were looted and burned.
“It changed your city, state and my country for the worse. Rioters on your side killed people and did billions in economic damage. And for what? Defunding police policies that have led to more people being killed,” reporter Andy Ngo replied to Frey.
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George Floyd died on May 25, 2020, after Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for 9 1/2 minutes outside a convenience store where Floyd tried to pass a counterfeit $20 bill. (Christopher Harris/AP)
While the official autopsy ruled the death a homicide caused by police restraint, the medical examiner’s report also noted that the amount of fentanyl in Floyd’s system and his recent use of methamphetamine were contributing factors.
“At first I thought this had to be a parody,” Tomi Lahren wrote on X. “I thought no way this fruity ass mayor was possibly honoring George Floyd on Memorial Day… But here it is.”
“Today we remember the veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedoms. Not drug addicts who overdosed,” Townhall.com columnist Dustin Grage wrote.
In a separate post, Frey honored veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice, saying: “We owe them — and the families who carry their memory forward — our deepest gratitude.”
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