Early this week, a reporter was chased out of “George Floyd Square,” which has become an autonomous zone controlled by militant-like, anti-police protesters, according to the reporter.
In a video posted to his Twitter, Brian Entin, a Miami-based reporter, stood outside the barriers to the “no-go zone” to film the area, but was rapidly approached by two people who told him to leave or else he would “be in a bad situation in a second.”
“What do you mean by bad situation?” Entin’s cameraman can be heard saying.
“I thought if we were on this side of the barricade,” Entin said, implying that he thought being on the outside of the memorial area was fine.
“You’re gonna be in a bad situation in a second,” the man said. “Cause you’ve been called out for what you are. You need to get out of here.”
Entin said he was with the media, but the man continued harassing him, saying, “You need to get in your car and go. We know what you are.”
At this point, Entin complied and left with his cameraman.
The George Floyd memorial is an "autonomous zone" with several blocks controlled by activists. Police don't even go in. We tried to respectfully get video-but left after two people confronted us near the barricades.
Later learned many protestors don't even feel comfortable there. pic.twitter.com/5w32fxQ0hR— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) March 10, 2021
The George Floyd memorial area is notorious for being a no-go zone for police officers, who are often not let into the square, even when violence arises.
Last weekend, a man was shot and killed at the memorial, and a relative said police were not allowed in to help with the situation. The victim, Imaz Wright, died at the hospital as a result of his injuries.
Entin interviewed a family member of Wright, Kim Griffin, who said she supports police reform but not the situation at the memorial. She said the atmosphere is “volatile” and “militant,” creating a sense of fear for people who want to visit the memorial.
“Police were not allowed to get into the area,” Griffin said of Wright’s death. “It was made clear law enforcement was not welcome to penetrate that zone.”
The George Floyd memorial, at the intersection of East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue South, has been the site of at least four homicides since last summer.
As reported by KSTP, the owner of Mill City Auto Body was assaulted in the zone last August and sustained several injuries due to the fact that police experienced difficulty when attempting to get past the barriers.
The Minnesota Reformer reported that police have tried to avoid confrontation in George Floyd Square by “pulling back from the area” and “refusing to engage with perpetrators.”
Rose Williams
Rose Williams is an assistant editor for Alpha News.
