Cheers, tears and cries of ‘Guilty!’

As the jury’s stunning murder conviction against white ex-policeman Derek Chauvin was relayed on a loudspeaker, the crowd in front of the Minneapolis courthouse erupted in joy and relief.

More than 200 people had gathered to hear the verdict for the man accused of murdering black man George Floyd, in a case that sparked protests against racial injustice all around the world.

“Guilty on all three counts!” a man announced over a megaphone — sparking shrieks of joy, cheering and more than a few tears of raw emotional relief.

“Today we celebrate justice for our city,” he added.

“I can’t believe it … guilty!” said 28-year-old Lavid Mack, who stood on a concrete block to get a better view of the gathering. He had thought that Chauvin would get off.

A woman stepped out of the crowd, too moved to speak and fell into the arms of a friend.

Another woman, her eyes brimming with tears, voiced her relief: “Now we can finally start to breathe,” she said.

“This year has been so traumatic. I am now hoping for some healing,” she said.

Before the verdict was announced, one man was waving a bottle of brandy in the crowd, hoping to open it if Chauvin was found guilty.

The road in front of the courthouse was closed to traffic and several vehicles that were turned away honked their horns in support.

In the past week, tensions had been mounting in Minneapolis, which was rocked by massive protests following Floyd’s murder last year.

Troops from the National Guard have been patrolling the tense city, and most of the businesses had boarded up their storefronts just in case unrest broke out again.

The courthouse itself was surrounded by armoured vehicles and concrete walls.