MINNEAPOLIS — All eyes were on Minneapolis this week for the Derek Chauvin trial.
Mother nature welcomed out-of-towners with freezing temperatures and strong winds. Among them were KHOU11's Xavier Walton and Sergio Soto.
"Once we arrived at the Hennepin County Government Center, the first thing we noticed was the massive security presence," Walton said. "Between the armed National Guardsmen and the 12-foot fences, nobody is getting through unless you have the proper credentials, which unfortunately, we did not."
Before opening statements Monday morning, there was a huge press conference outside the security fences.
The Reverend Al Sharpton, Ben Crump and members of George Floyd’s family were there. Can’t forget all the reporters and photographers chomping at the bit for the highly anticipated trial to get underway.
Following opening statements, the prosecution started calling witnesses to the stand. Emotions flooded the courtroom and overflowed unto the streets below.
That became apparent when people protesting were trying to divert traffic on popular streets.
One delivery woman became irate when people wouldn't let her pass.
There was a much larger protest Monday evening.
Following that protest, we got word a Minneapolis teacher was chaining herself to the security fences in an effort to raise awareness about social injustice.
"These aren't just locks with names on them. I know that's not what you're saying, but I want to tell the world this," Ms. Hirt said. "All of this, and if you go over there, there's more. These are lives that were taken and families that were destroyed."
"What's the lesson you want to teach everyone across the globe?" Walton asked.
"You can't deny people justice," said Hirt.
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One thing impossible to miss was the number of windows boarded up in downtown Minneapolis. For some, it triggered memories from last summer when riots broke out in the city.
"I might get emotional, but I'm glad you're editing this, but I truly hope that we see justice served and that our community doesn't implode on itself," said Donna Morrison, a manager at the Hen House Eatery.
"Why do you get so emotional when talking about that?" Walton asked.
"Wow. You're really putting me on the spot," Morrison said. "A man's life was taken right there on the street."
You could hear the emotion build in Morrison's voice.
"If you go to the site," Morrison said. "It took me about a month to get down there and it's still overwhelming and powerful."
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"And I just think the whole climate of that person of color being not respected and being disregarded," Morrison said. "We have to do better."
As she continues to wipe away tears, Morrison continued to say, "Probably for even deeper reasons, my brother passed away prior to that happening. He had an inoperable tumor on his trachea, which pushed on his trachea, causing him to have trouble breathing, so to hear that man say he couldn't breath and no one was helping him."
Just about every person Walton spoke to in Minneapolis knew what they were doing on May 25, 2020.
Every person has a story.
And in the coming days, weeks and months, most people were impacted in some way, shape or form.
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A local artist used her talents to deal with the drama coming from the courtroom.
"Emotionally, it hurts because it's somebody that could have been my brother, my dad, my uncle," said Kay Brown, a Minneapolis resident. "It could have been closer to home; and just to watch that, and just the trial Derek Chauvin, [he] is just sitting there with no remorse."
"You're saying this is a form of therapy. Do you feel better?" Walton asked.
"It makes me feel okay. It doesn't necessarily [...] it helps some, but the pain I feel for the case and everything doesn't go away."
You can follow Walton on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for coverage of the trial. And we'll stream every minute of it on KHOU.com, our news app, Roku app and Fire TV.