What is a police department for?

THE INTERSECTION of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue has, since George Floyd was killed there on May 25th, become a shrine, pilgrimage destination and public-art exhibition. A huge raised fist surrounded by flowers stands at the intersection’s centre. “You Changed the World, George,” with sunflowers beneath and clouds above, is painted on the purple side of a squat building across the street. Amid all the expressions of grief and resolve stands an imperative: at the centre of a row of roses pinned to a clothesline, a laminated sheet of paper asks people to “Creatively imagine a world without police.” For two months, many in Minneapolis have been doing just that—and discovering just how wide the gulf between creative imagination and running a city is.