After 12 jurors found ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all three counts in the death of George Floyd last year, supporters gathered at George Floyd Memorial Plaza outside Cup Foods to celebrate.

The smell of grilled chicken filled the air and people cheered, danced and reflected on the trial and Black Lives Matter movement. A band played music, a cookout was started and friends popped champagne to mark this moment in history.

But before the verdict came out, Minneapolis was bracing for the worst. As more businesses boarded up ahead of the verdict, security got tighter. On the night of closing arguments protesters marched from the Hennepin County Courthouse to the Hennepin County Jail where Derek Chauvin was being held during the trial.

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