Minneapolis, MN – This week has been eventful in the East Phillips fight to stop the demolition of the arsenic-contaminated site of the Roof Depot building in south Minneapolis.

Minneapolis, MN – At dawn on Tuesday, February 21, a coalition of East Phillips residents and allies, spearheaded by indigenous elders and American Indian Movement (AIM) members from the Little Earth community, began a new phase in their defense of the abandoned Roof Depot building site by directly occupying the area. In a matter of hours, the neighborhood-led group established Camp Nenoocaasi, setting up more than a dozen tents and a supply distribution area. Throughout the day the camp continued to grow.

Minneapolis, MN – At dawn on Tuesday, February 21, a coalition of East Phillips residents and allies, spearheaded by indigenous elders and American Indian Movement (AIM) members from the Little Earth community, began a new phase in their defense of the abandoned Roof Depot building site by directly occupying the area. In a matter of hours, the neighborhood-led group established Camp Nenookaasi, setting up more than a dozen tents and a supply distribution area. Throughout the day the camp continued to grow.

Minneapolis MN – On February 19, around 100 protesters and community members gathered at the Roof Depot site in the East Phillips neighborhood to protest the impending demolition of the building. The Climate Justice Committee organized the protest as part of the week of action for the Defend the Atlanta Forest, connecting the struggles against environmental racism and police terror in Atlanta to the local struggle against the pollution of oppressed nationality and working-class communities like East Phillips. The Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar also joined the protest, demanding justice for Manuel “Tortuguita” Paez Teran, a forest defender murdered by Atlanta police.

Statement by the Climate Justice Committee, Minnesota

Minneapolis, MN – On January 29, 70 activists, community members and supporters held a rally and healing circle in response to the Minneapolis city council’s recent vote in favor of continuing their legacy of environmental racism in the city of Minneapolis. The East Phillips Neighborhood Institute and the Climate Justice Committee organized the rally.

Minneapolis, MN – Over 100 protesters rallied at a Minneapolis City Council meeting on Thursday, January 26, where the city council members voted 7 to 6 to demolish the Roof Depot building. Protesters, called to action by East Phillips Neighborhood Institute and Climate Justice Committee, demanded a “no” vote on the demolition of the building, as it is currently trapping an arsenic plume underground, keeping it out of the air of the East Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis.

Atlanta, GA – Over 300 people gathered January 21 at Underground Atlanta shopping center to honor the life of Manuel “Manny” “Tortuguita” “Teran” Paez, demand an end to the building of Cop City and to defend an Atlanta forest.

Minneapolis, MN – Roughly 100 East Phillips residents and supporters rallied at the Hennepin County courthouse, December 15, protest the city’s East Phillips demolition plan and long legacy of systemic racism.

To no one’s surprise, the COP27 conference has left the world much in the same place that COP26 did the year before, and COP25 before it, and so on. This November, world leaders convened in Egypt to discuss and debate what an international response to climate action could look like (or so they would like you to believe).