National News

by Ben Turner

The 28-year-old has collected and archived the panels that once protected businesses from rioting in Minneapolis, aiming to preserve the legacy of the 2020 murder that shocked the United States.

Five years on, Zellner-Smith said the boards -- kept in a storage unit by an industrial site two miles (three kilometers) from where Floyd died -- still evoke powerful emotions.

They range from blank plywood with text reading "I can't breathe" -- the final words Floyd said as Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, knelt on his neck -- to colorful murals depicting rainbows and love hearts.

"Every time I look at them there's something different I notice," she told AFP. "They reignite an energy or a fire that was felt years ago during the uprising."

Then a university graduate in Minneapolis, Zellner-Smith was among millions of Americans who joined the Black Lives Matter rallies in 2020 that swept US cities.

The threat of vandalism saw many businesses protect themselves with wooden boards -- which became canvases for protesters' slogans and drawings demanding justice.

- 'Resistance' -

"Every single day after work, I'd grab my dad's pickup truck and I would just drive around searching for boards," said Zellner-Smith, who searched alleyways and dumpsters.

Today, her project called "Save the Boards" counts over 600 in its collection, with each stacked vertically in a pair of storage units measuring 10 by 30 feet (three by nine meters).

But with Floyd's legacy under the spotlight on the fifth anniversary of his death as many hoped-for reforms to address racism have not been met, she said the boards are crucial to sustaining the protest movement.

"Art serves as a form of resistance and storytelling, and it speaks to real, lived experiences, and that's what these are," Zellner-Smith said.

Her next challenge is finding a long-term home for the boards as grants that covered storage costs are running dry.

A handful are already being exhibited -- including in a building restored after it was damaged by arson during the 2020 protests -- and most have been photographed to be archived online.

"My biggest push is just to make sure they're still seen. The stories they have to tell are still heard, and that people understand there's still a lot of work to be done," Zellner-Smith said.

- 'Murals gave me hope' -

That nonprofit exhibited around 50 boards during a memorial event held Sunday on a recreation ground near George Floyd Square, the name given to the area where the 46-year-old was killed.

With Afrobeat music booming from speakers, dozens of people scanned the display that included one piece with squares of black and brown, each filled with phrases like "We matter" and "Protect us."

Another mostly bare wooden board had just a black love heart with "No justice, no peace" written in the middle.

"I think it is absolutely vital that these murals and this story that they tell are preserved for future generations," said Leesa Kelly, who has collected over 1,000 pieces while running Memorialize the Movement.

Asked what drove her to start the project, the 32-year-old replied: "I didn't do this because I was motivated or inspired, I did it because I was experiencing trauma."

"A Black man was killed. The murals gave me hope," said Kelly, who also collected many of the boards herself during the 2020 protests.

Darnella Thompson, 43, was one of those looking at the boards on a warm, sunny day, stopping to take a photo in front of one saying "Speak up" and "Hope."

"It's overwhelming," she told AFP. "As a person of color who has experienced quite a bit here in this country, it definitely resonates very much with me."

"It brings up more so sadness than anything because this is continuous," Thompson added.

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© Agence France-Presse

The head of a controversial US-backed group preparing to move aid into the Gaza Strip announced his abrupt resignation Sunday, adding fresh uncertainty over the effort's future.

In a statement by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), executive director Jake Wood explained that he felt compelled to leave after determining the organization could not fulfil its mission in a way that adhered to "humanitarian principles."

The foundation, which has been based in Geneva since February, has vowed to distribute some 300 million meals in its first 90 days of operation.

But the United Nations and traditional aid agencies have already said they will not cooperate with the group, amid accusations it is working with Israel.

The GHF has emerged as international pressure mounts on Israel over the conditions in Gaza, where it has pursued a military onslaught in response to the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas.

A more than two-month total blockade on the territory only began to ease in recent days, as agencies warned of growing starvation risks.

"Two months ago, I was approached about leading GHF's efforts because of my experience in humanitarian operations" Wood said.

"Like many others around the world, I was horrified and heartbroken at the hunger crisis in Gaza and, as a humanitarian leader, I was compelled to do whatever I could to help alleviate the suffering."

Wood stressed that he was "proud of the work I oversaw, including developing a pragmatic plan that could feed hungry people, address security concerns about diversion, and complement the work of longstanding NGOs in Gaza."

But, he said, it had become "clear that it is not possible to implement this plan while also strictly adhering to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, which I will not abandon."

Gaza's health ministry said Sunday that at least 3,785 people had been killed in the territory since a ceasefire collapsed on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 53,939, mostly civilians.

Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Militants also took 251 hostages, 57 of whom remain in Gaza including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.

Wood called on Israel "to significantly expand the provision of aid into Gaza through all mechanisms" while also urging "all stakeholders to continue to explore innovative new methods for the delivery of aid, without delay, diversion, or discrimination."

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© Agence France-Presse

Donald Trump on Sunday stunned the world with a comment he made about Vladimir Putin.

Trump over the weekend changed his tone on Putin, first delivering some "very harsh words" to the Russian leader through the American press.

After that, Trump took to Truth Social, where he said he was shocked about how Putin has apparently changed.

EXCLUSIVE: Trump accused of new grift that puts Qatari plane in shade

"I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him," Trump wrote. "He has gone absolutely CRAZY! He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I’m not just talking about soldiers. Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever. I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!"

Writer Michael Freeman reposted Trump's statement and wrote, "This is a very bad time to have a very stupid president."

PatriotTakes, which says it is dedicated to "researching and monitoring" right-wing extremism "and other threats to democracy," responded with, "Trump now says Putin 'has gone absolutely crazy' bombing cities, blames Zelenskyy and Biden."

"Anyone else remember how Trump said he would end the war in 24 hours?" the group asked.

Ex-GOP strategist Jeff Timmer chimed in, saying, "Jesus H F------ Cream of Wheat for Brains Christ. Trump’s brain is a black hole singularity that sucks in stupidity and ignorance, crushes and distills them to their purest, unadulterated, and most potent form, then combines them with infinite avarice, cruelty, and sociopathy."

Former prosecutor Ron Filipkowski said, "In other words, he promised repeatedly during the campaign he had a secret plan to end the war in 24 hours and he was just bulls------- everyone because he doesn’t have the first clue what to do, he gave away all negotiating leverage months ago, and his special envoy is a dope."

Journalist Aaron Rupar called the comment, "Beyond parody."