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Fence Removal Begins At State Capitol

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The fence that had surrounded the Minnesota Capitol since the unrest over the death of George Floyd began coming down Tuesday, although officials have yet to set a date for reopening the statehouse to the public.

Crews removed the tall chain-link fence from the front of the building and expected to haul away most of the remaining components in the coming days.

The Capitol was closed in March 2020 as the pandemic forced the Legislature to meet remotely. The fence hastily went up as protests over the death of Floyd on May 26, 2020, took a violent turn. It remained up during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and through former Officer Derek Chauvin's conviction for murder in Floyd's death in April. The state spent over $100,000 on the fence.

(© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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