Inside Cup Foods when the news broke that a verdict has been reached in trial of Derek Chauvin.

The owners say they’re closing in case the former police officer is found not guilty

A growing crowd here outside Cup Foods as people gather to hear the verdict next to George Floyd’s memorial. Activists shout “say his name” next to where his body had laid on the concrete

Everyone here at George Floyd Square is glued to their phones. News coverage is blasting from multiple outlets, like this jeep with two pups inside

Live as the verdict was read and people erupted into cheers and started sobbing when the jury announced Derek Chauvin was guilty of murdering George Floyd

Community activists and members of the community at George Floyd Square break down in relief as its announced that Chauvin is guilty on all counts.

“We got justice today,” Jennifer Starr Dodd, an organizer with Our Village Reunion, said.

Activists started throwing money into the air and the crowd started cheering even louder

“I feel seen,” Jennifer Starr Dodd, an organizer with Our Village Reunion, said after breaking down over the guilty verdict. Floyd’s death ignited a movement in this community and she saw a lot of good from it, but also a lot of pain and trauma.

In this moment, she sees “hope”

People (of all ages) raise their hands in honor of George Floyd. There are hundreds here, gathered at the spot where he died and posted up on a billboard that reads “All mothers were summoned when George Floyd called for his momma”

from the peaceful, celebratory gathering to honor George Floyd at the corner where he died. People are passing out food, coloring, playing music, and cheering speakers who are talking about what this moment means

Some of the 200 pieces inside the pop up memorial art space next to Cup Foods

Acoma Gaither, a fellow w/ the Midwest Art Conservation Center, said they’ve archived ~2,300 pieces since Floyd was murdered. The most common things people leave: flowers, weed, and portraits of him

Kids made and left many of the art pieces honoring George Floyd. The Midwest Art Conservation Center is planning on turning the memorial into a traveling exhibit, Gaither said, because it’s even more historic now

Lynea Bellfield has been to George Floyd Square countless times since 5/25/20. She has 3 sons and 5 grandsons and says dealing with police mistreatment is a way of life, especially here. She hopes that this is the beginning and end of something, that “there’s a lot of work to do”

Back inside Cup Foods, which is bustling. Billy Abumayyaleh runs it w/ his 4 brothers and said he closed it before the verdict to protect his kids, who work here, but quickly re-opened to serve the community. He just ordered 100 pizzas to feed ppl bc his kitchen can’t keep up

The Abumayyaleh family has run the store for 31 yrs. It does money orders, fixes cellphones, and makes hot meals. Billy says this past year has been exhausting and hard, but that today’s verdict was like a weight being lifted.