Civil unrest began in the Uptown district of the U.S. city of Minneapolis on June 3, 2021, as a reaction to news reports that law enforcement officers had killed a wanted suspect during an arrest.

[13] Crowds gathered on West Lake Street near the parking ramp soon afterwards as few details were known about the incident or the deceased person,[13] who was later identified as Winston Boogie Smith, a 32-year-old black American man.

[5] Nightly demonstrations were held through mid July and unrest continued for several more weeks, which disrupted local business activity and led to cancelation of street festivals.

Early in the morning on June 3, 2021, city workers in Minneapolis removed barricades and attempted to reopen the intersection to vehicular traffic, but faced opposition from the protesters.

[17][26] On June 3, 2021, a law enforcement task force that apprehends wanted fugitives shot and killed Smith during an attempted arrest at 2:08 p.m. CDT at a parking ramp near the intersection of West Lake Street and Girard Avenue in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis.

[14] An investigation of law enforcement conduct by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in the days afterward said Smith had brandished a firearm and shot at officers who attempted to arrest him.

[27] After an investigation by state and local officials, a report they released on October 11, 2021, said that the officers’ actions were justified under Minnesota Statutes and that no criminal charges should be filed against them.

[28][29] The afternoon of Thursday, June 3, 2021, news spread quickly in Minneapolis that law enforcement officers had shot and killed a person during an attempted arrest at a parking ramp near West Lake Street and Girard Avenue in the Uptown neighborhood.

[39] Many businesses in the Uptown area, which had economic activity interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and other riots during the prior year, spent the day of June 4 cleaning up property damage and boarding up storefronts in preparation for further unrest.

[45] A Minneapolis police spokesperson said the department would amass additional law enforcement support from the Minnesota State Patrol and Hennepin County Sheriff's Office to respond to the unrest and illicit street racing in the city.

[1][54] The evening of Sunday, June 13 demonstrators blocked the intersection of West Lake Street and Girard Avenue for an event, with some playing volleyball and lawn games.

[1][4] At approximately 11:39 p.m. CDT, a man in a Jeep Cherokee drove into the crowd at a high speed, striking a parked vehicle that had been used to block off the intersection to traffic, which then collided with protesters.

[1][4] The driver, identified as Nicholas Kraus,[59] a 35-year-old man from Saint Paul, Minnesota, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and assault with a dangerous weapon.

[11] Three hours before the vehicle attack, a demonstrator had climbed a pole and spray painted a surveillance camera located at the intersection of West Lake Street and Girard Avenue.

[60] During the early morning hours of June 14, a small group continued to block the West Lake Street and Girard Avenue intersection with some yelling at drivers in other vehicles.

[64][5]On June 16, the Minnesota National Guard announced that 100 troops were being activated for potential deployment to support the city's response to civil unrest.

[59][64] On June 17 at 1:30 a.m. CDT, police removed makeshift barriers that were used by demonstrators to "hold the space" near were Smith and Knajdek were killed, reopening West Lake Street to vehicular traffic.

[66][6] Authorities later charged Demonte Jamond Walkins, a 22-year old Minneapolis resident, for allegedly brandishing and discharging a firearm during the street occupation the night of June 24.

[67] A group of activists on June 27 blocked the vehicle of Minneapolis Council Member Andrea Jenkins after a Pride event near Loring Park for over an hour and did not let her leave until she signed a list of their demands that included dropping charges against those who were arrested at protests of Winston Smith's death.

[81] The night of June 7, several hot rod vehicles overtook East Lake Street, a few miles away, near the Hiawatha Avenue bridge to perform spin outs.

[74][82] On July 8, after several weeks of unrest and reports of violent crime, illicit street racing, and gunshots in the Uptown area, Mayor Frey announced law enforcement partnerships to mobilize resources from neighboring jurisdictions and from federal agencies such as the FBI and ATF.

[61] On July 16, Governor Walz activated 100 troops from the Minnesota National Guard for possible deployment to Minneapolis after receiving a request for assistance from Frey to help quell unrest.

[87] On October 11, following the decision by officials not to file criminal charges against the officers who shot Smith, his family gathered near the boarded-up memorial site to call for an independent investigation of the June 3 incident.

[92][93] Demonstrators made several attempts to hold space for Winston Smith and Deona Knajdek during the course of events by blocking the area of West Lake Street and Girard Avenue, a busy intersection, to vehicular traffic.

[40][19] Jill Osiecki, director of the non-profit Uptown Association that promoted local businesses, expressed frustration with the cycle of unrest that she perceived to be unending.

[98] Uptown residents organized graffiti removal and trash pickup the mornings after unrest[102] and others formed social media groups that tracked local vandalism and crimes to obtain attention of Minneapolis city councilors.

[103] In October, retailer John Fluevog Shoes permanently closed its store location on Hennepin Avenue and cited both the riots and COVID-19 pandemic as the reasons for its financial decision.

[104] Some residents and business owners objected to the aggressive tactics of demonstrators over Smith's death and expressed frustration that the Uptown neighborhood had to deal with the effects of civil disorder.

[108] In early 2023, another demonstrator filed a lawsuit against the city related to a traumatic brain injury suffered on June 4, 2021, as Minneapolis police officers were clearing the street.

[112] In order to avoid trial, Kraus pleaded guilty on October 24, 2022, the charges of unintentional murder for Knajdek's death and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon for injuring another protester.