Mayor Jacob Frey is facing backlash over George Floyd’s position on Memorial Day
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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey received backlash Monday for a social media post commemorating George Floyd, whose death on Memorial Day six years ago sparked protests and riots across the country, as well as calls for defunding law enforcement agencies.
“Today, we remember George Floyd, who was killed by a former Minneapolis police officer six years ago,” wrote Frey on X. “That moment changed our city forever.”
In subsequent posts, Frey wrote that Floyd’s death forced the city to “face the hard truths about race, policing, inequality, and trust — and demanded tough conversations and accountability. Since Floyd’s murder, our city has been challenged not just to say we’ve changed, but to prove it.”
“We are committed to honoring this place as a globally significant monument and as a place where people live, work, meet and heal,” added Frey.
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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has received criticism after honoring George Floyd on social media on Memorial Day. (AP Photos; Getty Images)
Floyd died of cardiopulmonary arrest that involved law enforcement, restraints, and neck compressions after being held down by police outside a store where he tried to pass a counterfeit $20 bill.
Four officers, including Derek Chauvin, were sentenced to prison for Floyd’s death. Chauvin knocked Floyd down with a knee to the neck for about nine minutes.
Frey’s post drew immediate criticism as Monday was Memorial Day.
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“Newsflash: Today is Memorial Day, not George Floyd Day. Show extraordinary respect for our fallen heroes and their families,” wrote Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla. “You are an absolute disgrace to America, @MayorFrey.”
Others noted that Floyd’s death sparked nationwide riots in which stores and buildings were looted and burned.
“It has changed your city, country and my country for the worse. Riots on your side killed people and caused billions in economic damage. And why? To support police policies that led to the killing of many people,” journalist Andy Ngo answered Frey.
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George Floyd died on May 25, 2020, after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for 9 1/2 minutes outside a store when Floyd tried to pass a counterfeit $20 bill. (Christopher Harris/AP)
While the official autopsy ruled the killing 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 factors.
“At first I thought this was supposed to be a comedy,” Tomi Lahren wrote on X. “I didn’t think this donkey mayor was disrespecting George Floyd on Memorial Day … But here it is.”
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“Today we remember veterans who gave their lives to protect our freedoms. Not drug addicts who overdosed,” wrote Townhall.com columnist Dustin Grage.
In another post, Frey paid tribute to veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice, saying: “We owe them – and the families who carry their memory forward – our deepest gratitude.”
