Minneapolis, MN – Chanting, “If Jamar don’t get it, shut it down!” hundreds of people marched Dec. 19 in frigid weather from the Fourth Police Precinct in north Minneapolis to city hall demanding justice for Jamar Clark. Clark, a 24-year-old African American man, was shot in the head and killed by the Minneapolis police on Nov. 15 on Plymouth Avenue in north Minneapolis, sparking an 18-day encampment at the Fourth Precinct to protest his killing. Today’s march was the largest protest since police dislodged the occupation in front of the Fourth Precinct on Dec. 3.

The protest was organized by the Twin Cities Coalition 4 Justice 4 Jamar Clark, and had four demands: prosecution of the cop who killed Jamar Clark, with no grand jury; immediate release of videotapes of Jamar’s shooting; federal domestic terrorism charges against criminals who shot five protesters on Nov. 23; and community control and oversight of police.

The march started at the Fourth Police Precinct in North Minneapolis. Marchers stopped and several people spoke at the site on Plymouth Ave where Jamar Clark was killed, then they continued marching to the county Incinerator. From there they marched through downtown Minneapolis, stopping in front of symbolic sites including the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center, before arriving at Hennepin County Government Plaza for a closing rally.

Speaking at the rally near the incinerator, Loretta Van Pelt of the Welfare Rights Committee and Freedom Road Socialist Organization said, “We are sick of waiting for justice. Why should we have to ‘wait’ for the police to be prosecuted? Why should we have to ‘wait’ for them to release the tapes? Those police did not ‘wait’ before shooting our young brother, Jamar Clark! They did not ‘wait’ to terminate his life, nor to terminate and terrorize the lives of Black and brown people. Well we sure as hell won’t wait. We demand justice now! Don’t ‘wait’ for a state-appointed grand jury to soften this disgusting murder. Prosecute the police who killed – who shot our child in the head! Prosecute the police!”

Endorsers of the march included Black Lives Matter Minneapolis, Anti-War Committee, Idle No More, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) Minnesota Peace Action Coalition, US Palestinian Community Network-Minnesota Chapter, Minnesota Break the Bonds Campaign, American Muslims for Palestine – Minnesota, Al-Aqsa Institute of Minnesota, Students for a Democratic Society at UMN, Socialist Action, Socialist Alternative, Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), Save The Kids (Augsburg), National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF), Stop Bullying Now Movement, Communities United Against Police Brutality,15NOW, Showing Up For Racial Justice MN, People of Color Union Members (POCUM), Twin Cities IWW General Defense Committee Local 14, and the Welfare Rights Committee.

#MinneapolisMN #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #MN #BlackLivesMatter #JamarClark #BLM