Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey creates firestorm with George Floyd tribute on the sixth anniversary of his death

By STEPHEN M. LEPORE, US SENIOR REPORTER Published: 04:37, 26 May 2026 | Updated: 04:42, 26 May 2026 Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey angered many when he celebrated George Floyd on the sixth anniversary of his death before commemorating Memorial Day.  Frey, who presided over the fiery protests in the city after Floyd was killed by Officer Derek Chauvin in 2020, wrote a lengthy missive about Floyd Monday morning. 'Today, we remember George Floyd, who was murdered by a former Minneapolis police officer six years ago. That moment changed our city forever,' he said. Frey spoke about the city confronting 'painful truths about race, policing, inequity, and trust — and demanded hard conversations and accountability.' He also promised the city has worked to change policing and 'prove it' but acknowledged 'still more work ahead.' Frey also touted reconstruction projects on George Floyd Square in the city and an additional area called 'the People's Way.'  Since Floyd’s murder, our city has been challenged not just to say we’ve changed, but to prove it. We’ve worked hard to reform policing, strengthen our department, and rebuild trust with neighbors – while knowing there is still more work ahead. 'The work ahead is bigger than any one moment or administration. The weight of what happened is still with our city six years later – and the responsibility to keep moving forward together is too,' he wrote. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (pictured) angered many when he celebrated George Floyd on the sixth anniversary of his death before commemorating Memorial Day Frey, who presided over the fiery protests in the city after Floyd (pictured) was killed by Officer Derek Chauvin in 2020, wrote a lengthy missive about Floyd Monday morning 'I know we can keep building a Minneapolis that is safer, more accountable, and more worthy of the people who call it home.' However, several commenters noted that he had taken time out to memorialize Floyd before doing so for those who died in the line of duty.  Cynthia asked: 'Why don't we remember that today is Memorial Day and honor those people who deserve to be honored?'  'No, he was a lifelong criminal not a hero. Today is about those who fought for our freedom so you could say stupid stuff like this,' wrote one resident.   'Maybe you should open your eyes and remember what this day is actually about,' added Hannah. 'Not about somebody who broke the law and unfortunately paid a terrible consequence to that. This day is about men and women who have literally sacrificed their lives for us to be able to live the way that we do. They sacrificed their lives so that people in power could celebrate false narratives.' 'I do not remember George Floyd. He was not a hero on any level. But I do remember the fallen soldiers,' wrote Heather.  Another local remembered Frey being tossed from an attempt to memorialize Floyd. In this image from video provided by Darnella Frazier, Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin kneels on the neck of George Floyd, a handcuffed man who was pleading that he could not breathe 'I remember when Jacob Frey showed up at a neighborhood gathering and they gave him the old Soul Train aisle and were chanting ''Go home Jacob!'' ... good times.'  'I'm saddened by the terrible comments on this post,' said one more sympathetic resident. 'Hopefully all of you are perfect people who have never done anything wrong. No one deserves to die the way George did.' Frey did later make a post celebrating Memorial Day which happened upon the same day this year as the anniversary of Floyd's death.   Earlier this year, Frey led another liberal protest movement in the wake of the murders by federal agents of Minneapolis residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti.  Frey said in the case of Good that the idea that the ICE agent was defending himself from Good's vehicle was 'bull****.' Government officials in Minnesota and elsewhere told ICE that they should drastically reduce their footprint in the wake of what has happened. Frey was the most explicit in his demand, telling agents to 'get the f*** out' of his city in his first press conference after the shooting. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. 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