MINNEAPOLIS,  United States — Riots in response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis on May 25 have left parts of the US city in tatters, but the city's sense of community has only grown in strength. 

A grocery store clerk called police when the black father-of-two allegedly used a counterfeit $20 bill to pay for goods. Four officers arrived at the scene, one of whom placed his knee on Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes, suffocating the 46-year-old to death. 

Floyd's killing sparked nationwide protest across all fifty states of a country where police brutality against black people sparks frequent waves of uproar. In states including Minnesota, protests have turned into riots causing widespread material damage. Protests and riots challenging police brutality against black people have since taken place internationally. 

Graffiti reading 'I Can't Breathe', Floyd's dying words, marks the city's walls. The same words were uttered by Eric Garner, a black man in Staten Island, New York who was apprehended for selling single cigarettes and died after being held in a chokehold by a policeman in 2014.

Rudaw took to the streets on May 31st to see how Minneapolis has come together in a time of strife.

A strengthened sense of community has arisen amid the unrest. Musicians perform free concerts for passers-by, and volunteers run food banks to provide basic supplies to those most in need as food shortages grip the city. 

Photos by Sean Boyce / Rudaw