Anti-police brutality protestors march on MPD Fourth Precinct

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“Indict, convict, send them killer cops to jail; the whole damn system is guilty as hell.”The refrain rang out as roughly 100 protesters against police brutality marched Wednesday night from North Commons Park in Minneapolis to the Fourth Precinct of the Minneapolis Police Department and at times blocked residential traffic, in an effort to raise awareness around their demands for justice.When they arrived, however, no officers were there to greet them – save for one that had accompanied the march.This is a Community Voices submission and is moderated but not edited. The opinions expressed by Community Voices contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the TC Daily Planet.The demonstration was sponsored by twelve local activist organizations, among them Communities United Against Police Brutality and Twin Cities Save the Kids. It was part of “Ferguson October,” a nationwide solidarity struggle emanating from out of Ferguson, Missouri, where 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot, unarmed, by officer Darren Wilson.Activists from Ferguson have been calling for sustained nationwide protests this month to demand that Wilson be charged with a crime and arrested. Protests in Ferguson are expected to intensify immensely if this demand is not met.To those ends, activists in Minneapolis planned this demonstration as part of a week-long program of protests and other educational events.The protestors arrived at the Fourth Precinct and surrounded the main entrance, putting police tape up around the pillars in front of the door. In addition to chants that seemed to taunt Police Chief Harteau, Mayor Hodges was the target of some rhetoric, calling into question the seriousness of her efforts at improving police-community relations.“I think a lot of [Mayer Hodges’] efforts are really just sort of window dressing; we have given the city a list of 31 concrete actions they could take right now with no law changes…let’s see some action on those,” said Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality.“Police brutality is a local and national epidemic. Continue Reading

Arts meets politics: Twin Cities artists share their outrage over Ferguson

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After Minneapolis poet David Bayliss witnessed the Ferguson riots on television earlier in August, he felt the need to express his outrage through his art. Now he wants to give other local artists a chance to do the same.This Sunday, Oct. 12, Bayliss and about a dozen local and national artists are hosting a night of performances at Patrick’s Cabaret in south Minneapolis. OUTRAGE: Writers respond to Ferguson aims to provide an official space for local artists to share their reaction to the ongoing racial tension re-sparked by the shooting of an unarmed Black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri earlier this summer. The event is co-sponsored by Patrick’s Cabaret.“I had this energy that I just needed to get out there. Continue Reading

Black community feels snubbed by Police Chief Harteau’s forum no-show

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It appears that no one is safe in Minneapolis – not even the city’s chief of Police.

Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau was scheduled to be a part of a community listening session on Sept. 18 at Sabathani Community Center in south Minneapolis, but a couple of hours before the event was to take place, the chief pulled out citing “credible information” of a planned attack on her.

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St. Paul Police Department Manual: They should not have Tasered Chris Lollie

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“• The ECD shall not be used in any interview or interrogation situation unless the physical defense of the officer or others becomes an issue.

“• The ECD should not be used as a pain compliance technique including used to escort or prod individuals. …

“• A subject who is simply walking or running away from a scene and not posing assaultive/violent or potentially assaultive/violent behavior should not be exposed to the ECD.” Continue Reading

OPINION | I am a Muslim American and I deserve respect

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After reading about Chris Lollie’s arrest in St. Paul and the terrible treatment he received, I was inspired to come forward with my own bad experience with local law enforcement.In August 2013, I had a court date that I had missed. I had a $300 ticket for driving with a suspended license for not having insurance. The ticket was almost three years old, and I know driving a car without insurance was wrong. But poverty was something continuous in my life and so insurance was just something I couldn’t afford.I decided to try to negotiate and so I had made arrangements with the court to appear in front of the judge to speak about the price of my ticket. Continue Reading