Protestors gather outside Derek Chauvin murder trial

Protestors have gathered outside the court complex in downtown Minneapolis where Derek Chauvin is facing three different murder charges for the death of African American George Floyd who died in May last year. Members of the community are joining to make their voices heard by chanting and holding banners outside the heavily fortified court house. The opening arguments in the former police officer’s trial focused on Floyd’s cause of death, with Mr Chauvin’s defence arguing drugs in his system coupled with underlying health conditions contributed to his death. Prosecution lawyers dismissed the claim, urging the jury to consider the length of time the then-police officer spent with his knee on Floyd’s neck. The court also heard from the 911 dispatcher on duty on the day of the incident who took the original call, saying she watched it unfold through CCTV footage on the street. She also said believed the footage had frozen because Mr Chauvin took so long to move. Authorities expect the trial will last between two and four weeks. Concerns were raised, however, about escalating levels of violence in the community if the jury handed down a not-guilty verdict.

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