Minneapolis switches $8m from police budget to violence prevention

• City council responds to defund calls after George Floyd killing
• Compromise retains police numbers after mayor's intervention

The Minneapolis city council unanimously approved a budget early on Thursday that will shift about $8m from the police department toward violence prevention and other programs.

Mayor Jacob Frey said the vote was a defining moment for the city, which has faced calls to defund the police since the 25 May death of George Floyd in the city, which ignited mass demonstrations against police brutality and a nationwide reckoning with racism.