Whose Streets? Our streets!
the names of others who had also died under questionable circumstances. In liberal New York, and much of the country, they had widespread support. Even after some instances of looting and destruction happened on the sidelines of events. Thousands of people, young and old, Black and white, took part in a memorial for George Floyd attended by his family and local officials. So many I spoke to expressed their belief that systemic changes were not only necessary but, in the wake of pandemic upheaval, possible.
Nearly one year later Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder and demonstrators returned to the streets to celebrate. and racial concerns had helped Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential elections. Some would say they exacerbated the nation’s political divide, but in New York, another rallying cry of demonstrators echoed. “Whose streets? Our streets!” Outdoor dining, crowded parks and city cyclists began to proliferate and slowly bring the city back to life… along with hope for change.
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