Delegates at the Minnesota Republican Party’s convention decided to hold a brief moment of silent prayer for Derek Chauvin. Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, was convicted of murdering George Floyd six years ago. The moment of silence took place over the weekend in Duluth, Minnesota.

This decision has drawn strong criticism from Democrats. They accuse Republicans of disrespecting both the court’s decision and the memory of George Floyd. Some conservatives have attempted to change the narrative around Floyd’s death and have urged former President Trump to pardon Chauvin for his federal conviction.

During the convention, a delegate put forward the proposal for a moment of silence, describing Chauvin as deserving of a state retrial and a federal pardon. This proposal was recorded by The Minnesota Reformer, a local news outlet, but the delegate’s identity remains unclear.

The motion was put to a voice vote where a significant number of delegates expressed their agreement with a loud ‘aye.’ In contrast, those opposing were much quieter. State Representative Danny Nadeau, who managed this session of the convention, noted that the support for the motion was overwhelming. He described the moment of silence as lasting only a few seconds, making it the absolute minimum duration necessary. Prior to the convention, Mr. Nadeau had mentioned his preference for the delegate not to pursue this moment of silence.