The Minnesota Republican Party has faced backlash after holding a moment of silence for Derek Chauvin, the former police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, at its annual convention in Duluth. Attorney General Keith Ellison, who led the prosecution in the case, condemned the gesture as 'an act of profound cruelty' towards Floyd's family and 'disrespectful' to law enforcement.
Ellison, a Democrat, stated that the decision 'dishonours the memory of George Floyd and wounds his loved ones all over again.' He noted that the convention took place days after the anniversary of Floyd's death on 25 May 2020, adding that honouring a man who 'disgraced his oath to uphold the law' was disturbing.
According to local station Fox 9 News, the request for the moment of silence came from a delegate on the second morning of the two-day gathering. Attendees stood for about ten seconds before the start of official business. Chauvin was sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison in 2021 for second-degree murder, and received a separate 21-year sentence in 2022 for violating Floyd's civil rights.
Floyd's death sparked widespread protests and a reckoning on racial injustice. In recent years, Chauvin has become a cause célèbre among some right-wing figures, with calls for a presidential pardon amplified by Elon Musk. Ellison acknowledged Floyd's family, noting that Chauvin has exhausted most legal appeals, and expressed concern about what the moment of silence says about the state of politics.
Democratic state lawmaker Jamie Long called the act 'disgusting' on social media, contrasting it with the lack of recognition for victims of gun violence or soldiers killed overseas. The Minnesota Republican Party did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
