Sign at George Floyd Square Gives a List of Special Orders for White Visitors

The square where George Floyd was murdered by ex-Minnesota cop Derek Chauvin now has a sign with special rules for white people who visit the area.

The sign at the entrance of George Floyd Square in Minnesota calls it “a sacred space for community, public grief, and protest,” telling visitors to “honor the space as a place to connect and grieve as caring humans.”

Most of the instructions are listed under five orders “for white people in particular.”

Some of the rules:

• “Decenter yourself and come to listen, learn, mourn, and witness. Remember you are here to support, not to be supported.”

• “Be mindful of whether your volume, pace, and movements are supporting or undermining your efforts to decenter yourself.”

• White visitors are ordered to “seek to contribute to the energy of the space, rather than drain it.”

• “Bring your own process to other white folks so that you will not harm BIPOC.” (black, indigenous and people of color)

• “If you witness white folks doing problematic things, speak up with compassion to take the burden of off [sic] Black folks and our siblings of color whenever appropriate."

• "Seek to engage rather than escalate, so that it can be a learning moment rather than a disruption.”

Images of the sign shared on social media quickly sparked outrage.

One person tweeted: “Imagine what would happen if a 9/11 memorial gave similar instructions to Muslims.”

Many others said it was blatantly racist.

Others questioned why it only singled out white people, especially given that not all of the officers charged over Floyd’s death are white.