Edina, MN – On Monday, June 23, a crowd of Minnesotans gathered to join the People’s Action Coalition Against Trump (PACAT) for a press conference and rally against right-wing violence, held in front of the Republican Party of Minnesota Office located in Edina.

In light of the targeted assassination of State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, and the attempted murder of Senator John Hoffman and wife, Yvette Hoffman, PACAT organized the press conference and rally to condemn the rise in violent right-wing extremism, fanned by the reactionary agenda of the Republican Party and President Donald Trump.

PACAT is a coalition composed of various grassroots organizations within the Twin Cities, working together to organize a fighting movement against Donald Trump and the reactionary rhetoric of the Republican Party.

The press conference was grounded in a tone of mourning and anger, as Olivia Crull, speaking on behalf of PACAT, said, “We offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Melissa and Mark Hortman, and our thoughts are with John and Yvette Hoffman in their journey to recovery. In the wake of this great loss to Minnesota’s fight for progressive change, what we will do is continue to organize in the hopes of making our communities better, safer, and free from reactionary violence.”

As more information surfaces from the tragedy on Saturday, June 14, it has become clear that both legislators, as well as the other individuals and organizations named on the shooter’s list of targets, were singled out because of their advocacy for reproductive rights and other progressive issues.

PACAT views the actions of the killer, Vance Boelter, not as an anomaly, but as part of the long history of anti-abortion violence in this country.

While addressing the crowd, Kristen Bledsoe of the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee said, “Rhetoric that propagates the idea of ‘fetal personhood’ and equates abortion with murder, that dehumanizes abortion providers and people who have had abortions, will always lead to the kind of violence that killed Melissa and Mark Hortman. As much as they want to deny responsibility, the Republican Party knows this.”

Right-wing media accounts initially promoted the theory that the shooter was an immigrant or supporter of immigrant rights, given the recent cuts to MinnesotaCare for undocumented adults by the state legislature. Once the motives of the targeted attacks were revealed, the Republican party and conservative media have attempted to distance themselves from this political violence.

Yann Chen of the Minnesota Immigrant Action Committee spoke about this anti-immigrant rhetoric, saying, “Trump’s campaign against undocumented immigrants, against Black and brown people, against trans people, against women, against working-class folks of every background are not new. These platforms of hate have been promoted and associated with the Republican party for over 60 years.”

While some have praised the police response last week, activists against police brutality have pointed out the flaws in their response that led to Boelter getting away, as well as the double standard of how law enforcement treats oppressed nationalities.

Jae Yates of the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice posed a question to Republicans, asking, “Will you racially profile white men who drive vehicles that are too similar to police cars or arrest them at nine times the rate of other racial groups? Of course not. Because none of you are willing to name the actual threat in the room, and none of you are willing to be honest about the fact that your enthusiastic embrace of white nationalism has fostered the environment for this horrific crime.”

On the day of the shootings, tens of thousands of Minnesotans protested at the Capitol as part of the national No Kings day of action. Drew Harmon of Minnesota 50501 referenced this moment, saying, “On the morning of June 14, we turned our sorrow into collective action as tens of thousands of Minnesotans came out in cities across the state, not just in Saint Paul, to highlight how sick and tired we are of this hateful rhetoric. But it will require continuous action, this is not something that can be fixed in one day. So, this is a call for everyone to continue the fight.”

#EdinaMN #MN #PeoplesStruggles #TCC4j #RightWingViolence #PACAT #MNAAC #MIRAC

Twin Cities, MN – In the early morning hours of June 14, an individual came to the door of State Senator John Hoffman in Champlin, reportedly impersonating a police officer. He shot at Hoffman and his wife, who shielded their child from the gunfire.

Then the gunman, who has been identified as Reverend Vance Boelter, went to the Brooklyn Park home of State Representative Melissa Hortman, where he shot and killed Representative Hortman and her husband.

Reportedly, police arrived at the scene and Boelter fled on foot. He reportedly left behind his vehicle, which appeared similar to an SUV squad car. In his car, authorities report they found a list of other targets, also elected officials. Hortman is a leader of the state DFL party, and Hoffman is also a Democrat.

Reverend Boelter is a Zionist with a background in private security.

Trump’s policies have created a climate that inflames right-wing violence. The last week has seen National Guard and Marines deployed to the streets of Los Angeles, multi-agency federal operations in major cities across the U.S., including Minneapolis, and Trump’s self-congratulatory “birthday parade” of tanks in DC.

Meanwhile, plainclothes ICE agents operating without identification have sparked chaos, blurring the line between government raids and vigilante kidnappings and violence.

“Regular people, including many veterans, have taken to the streets to protect their neighbors from ICE and the rest of Trump’s jackbooted thugs. Trump and his mouthpieces have responded with threatening language that encourages their supporters to take matters into their own hands,” said Jess Sundin, district organizer of Freedom Road Socialist Organization in the Twin Cities. “Our communities have the right to defend themselves.”

Even so, today’s No Kings protests are surging ahead across the country, representing a massive confluence of labor, climate, immigrant rights, anti-war and women’s groups, as well as other movements that are part of the broad front against the Trump administration.

“The people are going to turn this into a rallying cry against this administration,” said Charlie Berg of the Climate Justice Committee. “Trump wants us to stay home. We’re marching because surrendering isn’t an option.”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #InJusticeSystem #RightWingViolence #Trump #NoKings #Feature

Lafayette, IN – Around 1000 people circled the Tippecanoe County Courthouse on April 5 as part of the nationwide “Hands Off!” protest. The protest was organized by Greater Lafayette Indivisible and joined by an unexpectedly large number of people.

Amidst the energy of the protest a man named James Jordan, along with his wife Jessica Dee, came to a stop in their truck as protesters crossed the street in front of the courthouse.

This was no innocent occurrence. Jordan and his wife Dee, according to now deleted social media posts, have a history of attending rallies with malicious intent and this rally was no different.

Social media posts by Dee indicate that the duo intended to counter-protest the rally.

“This couple has a documented history of harassing protesters, LGBTQ+ individuals, Black residents, immigrants, and other targeted groups,” said AJ Dunn, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).

As Jordan and Dee came to a stop in their truck, Jordan exited the vehicle and began to harass protesters.

Aggressively invading personal space, shouting, repeatedly attempting to enter the crowd, and grabbing at people’s belongings, Jordan became a whirlwind of threats to the safety of the protesters.

In defense of those protesters, Jeremy Marks, a rally participant, headbutted Jordan after he had tried to grab a woman in the crowd.

After this Jordan retrieved a rifle from his car and began to threaten protest marshals and demonstrators alike, pointing the firearm at several people.

All the while, Jordan’s wife Jessica Dee screamed transphobic slurs at AJ Dunn.

The police were called and Jordan, as well as Jeremy Marks, were arrested.

Rifle-welding Jordan was released from police custody the same day with the Lafayette Police Department stating he had “acted in self-defense.”

Jeremy Marks was released on bail and is awaiting trial.

In response, local organizations and the community in Lafayette have gathered at city hall and called for the arrest of James Jordan. “People have gathered so much video, photographic, and eyewitness evidence and are sending it to the police as well as pressuring LPD and city officials to take action,” said AJ Dunn.

An investigation of Jordan has been reopened as the couple has fled town in a cowardly attempt to dodge accountability.

The people of Lafayette have shown they refuse to back down against violent Trump supporters and are not afraid to fight back. FRSO joins the people of Lafayette in calling for the arrest of James Jordan. We must stand up against violent reactionaries and protect each other.

The local community is gathering funds for Jeremy Mark's legal fees.

FRSO will be at the West Lafayette City Hall on May 5 to demand a safe haven resolution be passed to protect gender affirming care for patients and providers, and will be out in the streets on April 19 to continue the fight against Trump.

Follow us on social media @frso_indiana and follow @lafayetteindivisible to stay up to date.

#LafayetteIN #IN #InJusticeSystem #RightWingViolence #PeoplesStruggles #FRSO #Indivisible #Feature