Minneapolis, MN – Hundreds marched in the streets of downtown Minneapolis for Taking Back Pride, on June 27. Protesters demanded the conviction of all four officers involved in George Floyd’s murder, justice for all victims of police crimes, the prevention of bathroom bills or medical gatekeeping, community control of the police, a stop to Line 3, freedom for all political prisoners and the wrongfully incarcerated, and freedom for Palestine.

These demands were made in keeping with the history of LGBTQI struggle for liberation and its often co-opted legacy of the heroic Stonewall Riot, a fight against the racist, homophobic and transphobic police.

“This is why a lot of us don’t want cops at Pride,” said DJ Hooker of the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar (TCC4J), “[Cops are] there to protect the 1% and ruling class; they don’t make Black trans women feel safe, they don’t make BIPOC feel safe, they don’t make native people feel safe because they kill us.”

The protest and march ended in Loring Park, an historically queer park and neighborhood, where the community danced and enjoyed musical performances. There were also a few speeches, including one by Jason Heisler, father of Kobe Heisler, a 21-year hold autistic, African American gay man who was killed by Brooklyn Center police in his own home on August 31, 2019.

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