The owners of several businesses at the intersection where George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020 are suing the progressive city, claiming that they were financially harmed by the concrete barriers erected in the street for over a year and by an intentional draw-down of policing that led to a rise in lawlessness in the area.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit include Cup Foods, now known as Unity Foods, the store where Floyd tried to pass a phony $20 bill before police were called, as well as businesses that operate within the store and an investment firm that operates out of the same address. The five businesses that are plaintiffs in the lawsuit are all owned by the same family, according to a Minnesota Public Radio report.

The plaintiffs are seeking more than $1.5 million in damages from the city. The 19-page lawsuit was filed in Hennepin County District Court in mid-November.

[I wondered whether anyone would do this, in any of the so-called ‘autonomous zones’ that cities allowed to fester. This was a dereliction of duty in the face of *actual* insurrections that allowed criminals to seize control of public spaces and deny citizens their civil rights and proper services. Let’s hope the courts take Minneapolis to the cleaners over this. — Ed]