On Tuesday, video surfaced of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on the neck of George Floyd and subsequently killing him. The release of this video had some notable athletes such as LeBron James livid as to how something like this can even take place. Four officers have since been fired amid public uproar. The University of Minnesota is now getting involved in the situation.
On Wednesday, the university made an announcement that was sent to students and staff saying that they will be severing ties with local police officials and that they will not be present at various university events, including football games. In her letter, university president Joan Gabel said that the university will not stand for this injustice. “Our hearts are broken after watching the appalling video capturing the actions of Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) officers against George Floyd leading to his tragic death. As a community, we are outraged and grief-stricken. I do not have the words to fully express my pain and anger and I know that many in our community share those feelings, but also fear for their own safety. This will not stand.”
Gabel’s letter comes on the heels of the university’s student body president Jael Kerandi issuing a letter calling for the university to do something. “We no longer wish to have a meeting or come to an agreement, there is no middle ground,” Kerandi said. “The police are murdering black men with no meaningful repercussions. This is not a problem of some other place or some other time. This is happening right here in Minneapolis.”
The University of Minnesota has said that the only services that they will be using from the Minneapolis Police Department is for explosive detection via K-9s.
