Minneapolis-area high school teacher Kaia Hirt chained herself to a metal fence outside the Hennepin County Government Center on Monday evening in a protest pushing for police reform as the Derek Chauvin murder trial proceeded inside.
Hirt, who teaches 10th grade English at Champlin Park High School, said she was demonstrating to show her support for families of those who have been killed by police. She wants local politicians to do more to support police reform legislation, the Star-Tribune reports.
"I'm frustrated by local and state officials' failure to address racist policing in the community," Hirt said, as she sat chained to a fence that authorities erected in the Government Center plaza as part of security precautions for the trial.
Hirt said she took two unpaid days off to participate in the demonstration and plans to return to work Wednesday with different members of the activist group she is part of — Good Trouble for Justice — planning to take turns chained to the fence.
