The Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Institute of Art have announced they will cease contracting with the Minneapolis Police Department for security at events. The Walker's decision demands the MPD implement reforms, including demilitarizing training and holding officers accountable, stating 'George Floyd should still be alive.'
This move, prompted by the police killing of George Floyd and subsequent protests, signals a major shift in how cultural institutions engage with law enforcement. It highlights the often-invisible practice of museums hiring off-duty police and places pressure on other institutions to examine their own relationships with police departments in the context of systemic racism and racial violence.