<nettime> Events in Minneapolis today

[Max Herman <maxnmherman@hotmail.com>]

Hi all,

Quiet here last night and today.  Instead of curfew 8pm to 6am, tonight's is 10pm to 4am.

I won't try to do reportage as I'm not trained how to do it.  I think there were a lot of positive community interactions during the day and not a lot of issues during the curfew.  For news I don't use any social media, so I just know what is on local broadcast TV and the local digital newspaper, plus what I see and friends tell me.

Today was very sunny and hot which always has a kind of tension-relieving effect here this time of year because it shows winter is really gone, things growing a lot, flowers, and physically just relaxing to the body.

There was something about the incident with the semi truck I think that changed the atmosphere but that is just my opinion, and my personal experience.  I don't know if such an event could be called meaningful, historical, pivotal; how do we determine such a question?

Today I visited the area where George Floyd died, at 38th and Chicago, and there was a large diverse group.  There was a good feeling of community there, raw and honest but hopeful too.  There were a lot of international reporters.  The neighborhood is very green and lovely, with very nice homes, so don't picture a blighted neighborhood.

George Floyd's brother spoke around 3pm, and I'm sure there is video but here are some phrases I jotted down:

"George Floyd" (call and response)

"Peace on the left, justice on the right" (call and response)

"Don't you come here and mess up my community."

"Y'all ain't doin' nothin'."

"That won't bring my brother back to life."

"Do this peacefully."

"There's another way."

"Minnesota stand up."

"No justice no peace, prosecute the police."

I don't have any analysis or big ideas to add.  A lot of yesterday and today seemed to me like a conversation, so to speak, but acted out more 360.  Like the lines of police facing the lines of protestors, footage from above, like they were communicating or conversing figuratively.

Through the day I had the sense, with a lot of my personal fear response reduced, that all this was being processed by all these people in unique ways, each in their own individual way.  So that was more hopeful and seems to harbor a lot of potential, like the potential of all these people to make art, have conversations, have friendships, have insights.  Who's to say what the limits are on that?  Everyone I know is thinking of new activities, how to get involved, be as creative and loving as possible.

One image I liked at 38th and Chicago was of George Floyd as a child, teenager, and middle-aged.  Another was in chalk of a spiral.  A relative told me in 2018 the spiral means a lot relating to time in indigenous culture, and since then I've read about it a little and I think it is a very meaningful image about time.  What are the limits of what it can mean, or put another way, what the spiral jetty can mean?  Are there limits, or are there not?

That said, curfew enforcement is still underway tonight.  A lot of the arrests I've seen have been very calm like intentional arrest, no chasing or struggling, at least in the televised arrests.

 Hoping sincerely it can evolve peacefully.

All best wishes,

Max

PS - poetry wise I've been thinking a lot about Lycidas, going to read it now, and a little about Adonais stanza 47 which I know by heart.

Pps - security vehicles were patrolling my neighborhood last night but no incidents I heard of.



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