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Listening to the Chauvin Verdict in Richmond

Jahd Khalil

As they listened to the judge read out the verdict in the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, people gathered at Richmond’s monument to Robert E. Lee called it a small victory, but with a qualification.

“I felt good,” said Cory Webb about his feelings as the verdict was read out. “Now we got another fight and we got more foes.”

A jury in Minnesota found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of killing George Floyd Tuesday. The killing sparked protests across the country, including in Virginia.

Removing the monument to Lee and other Confederate leaders was a key demand of protestors this summer, who argued racist figures shouldn’t be memorialized. The monument attracted hundreds during the protests following George Floyd’s killing.

On Tuesday the group was smaller, who gathered around a few foldable tables under a pop-up tent. Two tables had gatorade and cupcakes but another had a car battery powering a radio as the verdict was read.

After the judge read out the verdict, one man banged on the table. Drivers who were listening from their cars started honking, and raised their fists as they drove through the traffic circle. Those near the tent raised them back.

“This is supposed to be the norm but it hasn’t been the norm,” Webb said of the conviction. “So we are going to celebrate that it’s becoming the norm and has become the norm, that these people get held accountable for the wrong that they are doing to us.”

Webb said that police violence isn’t the only racial justice issue that needs to be solved: jobs, education, and lending policies all need to be tackled, too.

This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.

Jahd Khalil is a reporter and producer in Richmond.
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