Central Iowans celebrate Chauvin verdict in downtown Des Moines gathering

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Des Moines Register: While thousands of people celebrated the guilty verdicts in the trial of Derek Chauvin in the streets of Minneapolis, cities across the country followed suit with their own celebrations, including here in Des Moines. The white former Minneapolis police officer was found guilty of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who was held to the ground with the officer’s knee last Memorial Day for over nine minutes after police responded to a report that Floyd used a counterfeit $20 bill. Several dozen central Iowans gathered for a community event called “Justice for George Floyd” Tuesday evening at the Pappajohn Sculpture Park in downtown Des Moines. Together with pizza, “music, smiles, and love,” the group planned to reflect and respond to the historic trial.