The public wants to refund, not defund, the police

At the site where George Floyd was murdered in May 2020 in Minneapolis, a rough shrine has emerged. Surrounding a sculpture of a black fist are banners, flags and photos of other young men killed by police. On the burnt-out petrol station is a slogan: “Where there’s people, there’s power”. Affixed around the square are posters showing a police officer dressed in body armour clutching a scythe. In place of a face, it has a grinning skull. The text reads “All cops are Derek Chauvin”, the name of the police officer convicted of murdering Floyd. Underneath is a directive: “Smash the police state”.