Minneapolis, MN – June 28 marked the Taking Back Pride Coalition’s tenth annual protest march that disrupted the Twin Cities Pride Parade in downtown Minneapolis.

Despite a heavy morning downpour that delayed both the march and parade, community members took to the streets with banners reading “Delta deports neighbors” and “Dump Trump donors,” inviting the crowds lined up awaiting the corporate-sponsored festivities to join the protest march into Loring Park.

Many parade-goers were receptive to the messaging and chants, with some heeding the call and stepping out into the street to march alongside protesters, and many others joining in during chants of “No cops, no KKK, no racist Pride today!”

Initiated by the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J) in 2017, the Taking Back Pride Coalition (TBP) has organized a protest march for the past ten years to demand that Twin Cities Pride oust police and big corporations from the state’s largest free Pride festival, which they see as antithetical to Pride’s origins in the Stonewall Uprising of 1969.

The contradiction between sponsoring a Pride event and donating to Trump and other right-wing politicians who have been increasingly targeting the rights of queer and trans people across the country is not lost on the organizers of this year’s march. TBP co-chair and member of TCC4J Jae Yates called out sponsors of this year’s event like Delta Airlines, Uber, JP Morgan Chase, and others that have donated to Trump and other right-wing politicians, stating, “We deserve a Pride that is free from corporations that profit off of us for June, and then donate to Trump's campaign the rest of the year.”

The protest marched along much of the planned route for the Pride Parade, with multiple stops where speakers like Khalani Matus of the Climate Justice Committee highlighted for the audience why TBP marches against sponsorship from corporations like 3M every year.

Matus stated, “There is no Pride or Stonewall spirit in companies like 3M who poison our water with ‘forever chemicals’ and fund Republican politicians who are trying to take away our humanity,” referencing 3M’s donations to right-wing politicians and PFAS chemical waste mismanagement. In 2018, the state of Minnesota settled a lawsuit with the company for $850 million for contaminating drinking water and natural resources in the southeast metro area of the Twin Cities.

Other speakers along the march route featured members of organizations from the student organizing to labor solidarity, a song led by Singing Resistance, poetry by Azariah Baker, and words from sex worker activist Mona Notte, who reminded the crowd that Pride itself would not exist without the Black and brown trans folk who resisted police violence at Stonewall.

After the last set of speakers, protesters split into groups to conduct demonstrations in front of two of the booths located inside Loring Park, 3M and U.S. Bank. However, organizers learned that the 3M tablers had left their booth, possibly to avoid protesters. Organizers proceeded to escort a portion of the marchers to the Power to the People Stage to await the remaining demonstrators, who continued on to U.S. Bank.

At the U.S. Bank booth, organizers and supporters gathered in front of the table on either side of the walkway, with speakers on megaphones announcing to passersby why corporations like big banks should not be allowed at Pride festivals.

Festivalgoers were generally receptive to the messaging, and chants of “No pride in ecocide!” and “No pride in genocide” sounded above the music and revelry. A speech written by Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) executive director Meredith Aby was read by Yates, stating that U.S. Bank had no place at Pride due to its financing of the fossil fuel industry and revolving credit for defense companies. “When your ‘customers’ facilitate war crimes with their fighter jets, missile systems, tanks and naval vessels then you need to be called out for who you do business with,” Aby wrote. “Decorating your bank with rainbows can’t clean up the blood on U.S. Bank’s hands.”

The action concluded with an invitation from Yates for anyone who resonated with TBP’s message to join the coalition next summer or one of the many groups that took part in organizing this year’s action, as many work year-round across a variety of struggles.

This year’s coalition included Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J), Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC), Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC), Bikers Riding Against Police Brutality (BRAPB),Fury Du Nord, Climate Justice Committee (CJC), MN 50501, Communities Against Transphobia (CAT), Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Minnesota Workers United (MWU), Community Aid Network Minnesota (CANMN), Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), Sunrise Twin Cities (SMTC), Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), Justice Frontline Aid (JFA), Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America (TCDSA), Singing Resistance, Healthcare Workers for Palestine (HCW4P), and individuals passionate about queer and trans liberation.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #LGBTQ #TCC4J

These action come in response to the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR) call for a National Day of Action honoring the Juneteenth holiday, and in light of the acquittal in the killing of Cyrus Carmack-Belton, the reversal of homicide convictions in the killing of Elijah McClain, the sentencing of Karmelo Anthony, and the police murder of one-year-old Kohen Wiley in Mississippi.

In 2023, Cyrus Carmack-Belton, a 14-year-old Black boy, was fatally shot in the back over suspicion of stealing bottled water. In 2019, Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man, was put in a neck hold by police and then given ketamine by paramedics for “suspicious behavior. He died. In 2025, Karmelo Anthony, a 17-year-old Black teen, was tried as an adult by an all-white jury and, this June 9, was sentenced to 35 years. One-year-old Kohen Wiley was murdered by a police officer in Mississippi, who shot into his mother’s car after she was falsely accused of shoplifting from a Walmart.

“These cases are not identical. The facts are different. The legal circumstances are different. But they all force us to confront the same question: Why must Black communities constantly fight to prove our humanity?” asked Alissa Washington, executive director of WIAOFC-MN, in her statement at the press conference.

The day after the press conference, June 18, TCC4J held a rally outside of the former Minneapolis Police Department 3rd Precinct, which has remained unoccupied since burning down during the uprising after the murder of George Floyd. Speakers included local organizers and activists from Black Lives Matter Minnesota, Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, TCC4J and WIAOFC-MN.

“Minnesota has the third-biggest racial wealth gap in the United States,” said Trahern Crews, of Black Lives Matter Minnesota. “Minnesota needs to pay reparations now!” Crews is part of a group of 39 local activists and community members, The Righteous 39, facing trumped-up federal charges after protesting at Cities Church, whose pastor, David Easterwood, was also employed as an ICE field director.

“A lot of people think reparations were paid to Black people,” said Jae Yates, an organizer with TCC4J and Freedom Road Socialist Organization. “That is not true. Nobody got compensated for the gerrymandering, for the terrorism of white supremacy throughout the Civil Rights period, for the mass incarceration that tore apart hundreds of thousands of Black people’s families – we have not been compensated for the harm of chattel slavery, and we are still living with the consequences today.”

Dozens of community members gathered outside of the old 3rd Precinct site with signs and chants as many passing vehicles honked in support. The speakers and chants reiterated the demands from the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, including community control of the police; reparations now; defend voting rights; free the wrongfully incarcerated; end police collaboration with ICE, and protect Black trans lives!

#MinneapolisMN #MN #InJusticeSystem #TCC4J

Minneapolis, MN – On Wednesday, April 22, the city of Minneapolis released a long-awaited after-action review examining the Minneapolis Police Department’s failures in the handling of the murder of Allison Lussier and the shooting of Davis Moturi.

Allison Lussier was a Native woman living in the North Loop of Minneapolis who called MPD more than six separate times to protect her from her abuser Chuck Foss. Despite her family and community making MPD aware of Foss’s potential connection to the case, MPD never called a crime scene unit to investigate and failed to interview witnesses or review surveillance footage. Chief O’Hara, without reviewing the findings of the medical examiner, immediately declared she had died of an overdose despite the lack of investigation.

There was similar neglect in Davis Moturi’s case. Moturi logged 19 separate complaints with MPD regarding racist harassment and threats from his white neighbor John Sawchak, and, leading up to the shooting, the Moturi household called MPD at least 38 times according to the report. Officers did not arrest Sawchak until five days after the attempt on Moturi’s life.

The findings confirmed what families, organizers, and community members have been saying for years: the system meant to protect the most vulnerable is failing, and without sustained public pressure, those failures are buried. This review did not come out of nowhere. It exists because Allison’s family and loved ones refused to stay silent. They organized, they pushed, and they forced this city to confront the truth.

Activists and community members listened as the City Auditor presented for nearly four hours to a joint meeting of the Audit Committee and the Minneapolis City Council. What the City Auditor presented was beyond misconduct; the presentation showed MPD engaged in patterns of neglect and indifference toward non-white victims and that these failures show up in every level of the department’s functioning.

The audit revealed that MPD did not request the Medical Examiner’s report in Allison’s case until nearly two years later and only after the Auditor attempted to obtain it. Several officers outright refused to participate in the audit, including Sergeant Heyers, who was the detective assigned to Allison’s case. One officer who took early retirement before the auditor could speak to him reportedly said, “I’m not going to participate in the investigation.” Despite orders from leadership to participate, O’Hara chose not to enforce this order and as yet there have been no consequences for these officers.

When asked whether race played a role in how Allison’s case was handled, Chief O’Hara repeatedly dodged the question. Additionally, coordination between MPD and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office still had not been established even after months of public scrutiny and promises. O’Hara blamed these issues on understaffing, but a lack of staff does not explain why reports weren’t requested, why officers refused to cooperate and properly file reports, why families were ignored, or why accountability only shows up when the community forces it. MPD received a budget increase of over $5 million in addition to nearly $20 million in approved overtime in 2026, so the issue is clearly not a lean budget but a mismanagement of its resources.

Despite everything revealed in this audit, justice has still not been served. Allison Lussier’s killer has not been charged and MPD has yet to take full responsibility not just for failing her in the investigation, but for failing her before her murder and in how they communicated with the public afterward.

We also stand in solidarity with the family of Mariah Samuels, whose case reflects the same patterns. These are not isolated incidents. This is a pattern of neglect, especially when it comes to indigenous women, Black women, and marginalized communities. The families and community members demand a full direct apology, real consequences for officers who failed to act and investigate these cases, and immediate and meaningful investment in domestic violence response. Twin Cities Coalition for Justice will continue to highlight these cases and push for community control of the police so that cops are held accountable for these egregious failures.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #TCC4J #AllisonLussier #DavisMoturi #MariahSamuels #PoliceAccountability #InjusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities

Minneapolis, MN — In freezing temperatures with wind whipping around downtown Minneapolis, hundreds of protesters huddled near the front doors of Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office to rally against a proposed $170 billion in additional funding for ICE.

With the current administration pouring millions of dollars, thousands of heavily armed agents, and a staggering volume of chemical weaponry into a violent occupation of Minnesota dubbed “Operation Metro Surge,” Minnesotans continue to stand their ground against political repression no matter the weather.

The event was organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and included speakers from the Anti-War Committee, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, and the Council on American Islamic Relations Minnesota.

Kelly Thomas from the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice said, “Amy Klobuchar has a long history of not doing the right thing. She loves prosecuting Black and brown youth but protecting killer cops. Shame! She says she wants ICE out of Minnesota but isn’t willing to support the Palestinian people as they resist their own occupation and ongoing genocide. Shame!”

Myrka Zambrano of MIRAC said, “It seems that our leaders have forgotten who it is they serve. They do not serve a federal agency, they do not serve a king, they serve us, their constituents. They have a responsibility to us and we will hold them accountable!”

Congressional leaders are currently negotiating a number of funding packages as they attempt to reach a federal budget agreement by January 30 and avoid another government shutdown. As of yet there is no agreement on the funding package for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). The negotiation of this particular bill will determine whether additional billions of taxpayer money is allocated to these agencies.

MIRAC is calling on Minnesota’s members of Congress to reject any bill that includes funding for ICE and CBP, demanding “Not one more cent for ICE! Stop the deportations! Legalization for all!

#MinneapolisMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #ICE #Klobuchar #MIRAC #TCC4J #CAIRMN

Minneapolis, MN- The Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) led a historic march of 100,000 people through Minneapolis to honor the life of Renee Nicole Good and to demand ICE out of Minnesota. The gathering was not only a show of grief and anger, but a powerful declaration of collective resistance.

On the morning of January 7, community member Renee Good was observing a raid and was murdered by an ICE agent. Good was known as a devoted mother and a neighbor who believed deeply in protecting her community. On the night of her murder, thousands gathered at a vigil and rally organized by MIRAC to mourn her loss.

In the days that followed, the city became a living memorial. Community members marched through neighborhoods, laid flowers at Goods’s memorial, and mobilized together to demand concrete action to remove ICE from Minneapolis. While city leaders spoke from podiums and expressed solidarity, the people were clear that words alone are not enough, demanding real action. No meaningful steps have yet been taken by most officials to ensure that immigrant communities are protected from further ICE terror.

The January 10 march began with a rally in South Minneapolis in Powderhorn Park, not far from where Renee Good was murdered, and in a neighborhood that is highly organized in its resistance to ICE. Rapid Response groups constantly patrol the neighborhood and let ICE know they are not welcome in the city.

During the march, speakers gave voice to the urgency and moral clarity of the moment as tens of thousands of people continued to pour into the streets for hours on end.

Noah Schumacher of the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J) told the crowd, “I think we have some demands, am I right?! are here today to demand ICE get out of MN. We are here today to demand an end to the mass deportations of our immigrant siblings. We are here today to demand Governor Walz tell his National Guard forces to stand down and not repress the people’s movement! We are here today to demand justice for Renee Good, a mother and poet who was murdered in cold blood for trying to protect her neighbors. We are here today to demand an end to the blatant attacks on Black and brown people.”

Dieu Do, a member of MIRAC stated, “You don’t send 2000 agents to a state where you’re meeting your quota. You don’t ask for backup when you’re winning a fight. People see through their deception, and they know their days of terrorizing our communities are coming to an end. Because no matter what resources they have, they can’t outlast our movement. We believe in each other. We believe in this fight. And we believe we can win – because we wouldn’t be here if we didn’t.”

U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar addressed the crowd from the sound truck as the march continued to flood Lake Street stating “They came to terrorize, abduct and deport Somali immigrants here in Minnesota…As they lose their minds trying to intimidate us, I see every day, every single day, neighbors trailing these violent people who are trying to intimidate us under the guise of law enforcement and saying no matter what you do to me you can arrest me or not I am going to document your illegal actions. Because if there is no accountability today there will be accountability tomorrow.”

The immigrant rights movement continues to grow with each march, vigil and act of solidarity. As MIRAC continues to fight back against ICE in the streets, the group is also building for their 20th annual march on May 1 for International Worker’s Day, which they expect to be their biggest march yet. The movement to protect our immigrant brothers and sisters is growing, and justice will be won!

#MinneapolisMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #ReneeGood #ICE #MIRAC #TCC4J #Feature

At the family press conference outside the Hennepin County Government Center, TCC4J and the families put the responsibility for the murders on the hands of the MPD, Chief Brian O’Hara, and Mayor Jacob Frey.

The families demanded the firing of MPD Chief O’Hara, full MPD cooperation with the city auditor’s investigation into MPD’s failures to investigate Lussier’s death, the prioritization by the city of domestic and intimate partner violence cases, and the establishment of an all-elected Civilian Police Accountability Commission (CPAC).

Mariah Samuels, a Black woman and a mother of two young children, was killed on September 14 by her ex-partner. She reported her abuse to MPD weeks before and was granted an emergency Order For Protection. Despite going to the courts and pleading for MPD to do something about the threats to her life, her calls went unheard. MPD did not assign an investigator to her case until after she was killed.

Samuels’ sister, Simone Hunter, attended the press conference. She and her family have been gathering community support and calling for accountability from the city despite the trials of the grief of losing a loved one.

Allison Lussier, an Anishinaabe woman, was killed in February 2024. For several months, Lussier called to MPD in fear for her safety from Chuck Foss, her abusive ex-partner. The medical examiner said she died of subdural hematoma, a head injury. Chief O’Hara showed his contempt for her life and the truth by claiming she died of an overdose, instead of the negligence of his MPD.

Jana Sweeney Williams, Lussier’s aunt, spoke at the press conference. She has been calling for “Justice for Allison Lussier” for over a year. She got the attention of the city auditor's office. They have been trying to investigate the case, but have publicly called out the MPD for obstructing their inquiry.

Jess Sundin of TCC4J emceed the press conference. She said, ““I am here because we want to help these families take our power back. When women need help and call for that help they oughta get it.” Sundin pointed to TCC4J’s campaign for a Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC), saying, “This is our community and we deserve a right to control police and how they’re policed and who polices them.”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #InJusticeSystem #TCC4J

Minneapolis, MN – On a rainy Tuesday evening, October 14, folks gathered at the Hennepin County Government Plaza to commemorate what would have been George Floyd’s 51st birthday.

Angela Harrelson, the aunt of George Floyd, kicked off the program and asked for everyone to stay united in fighting for justice and that she was grateful for the folks who showed up to celebrate her nephew’s birthday.

Myrka Zambrano, an organizer with Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), noted that it took almost 32 years for Martin Luther King’s birthday to be a national holiday, and 150 for Juneteenth to be recognized as a national holiday, but only nine days for Congress to recognize Charlie Kirk’s birthday as a National Day of Remembrance

This action was in response to a decision by congress to designate October 14 as a National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk, a right-wing podcaster, who was shot during an appearance at a Utah University last month.

Simone Hunter spoke on the failures of the police department to take seriously the threats to her sister Mariah Samuels, who was killed by her ex in September. She had called the police several times and even had an order of protection from him, but was not taken seriously by Minneapolis police. This is similar to what happened to Allison Lussier. Lussier was an indigenous woman who was allegedly killed by her ex as well, but MPD Chief O’Hara falsely told media she died of a drug overdose, despite the medical examiner saying otherwise.

Jae Yates, an organizer with Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, pointed this out in their speech, that these women were dehumanized by the Minneapolis Police Department, and their deaths like so many others could have been prevented. Yates demanded that Minneapolis put control of the police department in the hands of the people of Minneapolis, with their campaign to establish an all-elected Civilian Police Accountability Commission.

Ebony Dobbins spoke of how MPD “played ding dong ditch” at her home, then climbed through the window of her seven-year-old son’s bedroom and terrorized her family under the guise of a child and animal welfare check. Dobbins believes that she was targeted by police for a case involving her grandmother over 23 years ago, in which she was shot and killed by MPD.

This rally was put on by the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #InJusticeSystem #GeorgeFloyd #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #TCC4J

Minneapolis MN – On Sunday, July 13, over 100 community members rallied at Minneapolis’ Mayday Plaza to speak out against the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” (BBB), passed by Congress and signed into law by Donald Trump on July 4.

The BBB is set to bring about both the largest tax cut for the rich and largest addition to the federal deficit in many years. Alongside these giveaways to the wealthy, the BBB will also make historic cuts to, among other programs, SNAP and Medicaid, vital federal programs that millions of low income people rely on.

Protesters withstood the summer heat and humidity, as well as smoky air caused by Canadian wildfires to speak out about the BBB as an attack on the working class. The crowd waved signs calling for an end to deportations and genocide, while demanding increased spending on human needs such as employment, education and environmental justice. Cars passing by honked in support as the crowd chanted “We want jobs and education, not wars and deportation!”

The demonstration was organized by Minnesota Workers United (MWU), who decried the BBB as the latest in a series of attacks on working and oppressed peoples launched by the Trump administration.

MWU describes itself as “a group of rank-and-file union members, workers, and community members dedicated to building a fighting labor movement.” Speakers at the rally included several union workers and organizers, as well as activists from a variety of people’s movements.

Organizations speaking at the rally alongside MWU included the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Minnesota Labor for Palestine, Minnesota Anti-War Committee, the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, and the Minnesota Library Workers’ Coalition. A worker from Planned Parenthood also spoke about how the BBB is an attack on reproductive rights and the need for the community and unions to fight back.

Luke Wiebolt, a member of MWU, said to the crowd, “I urge you to not give up or fall into escapism, but to instead join forces with your fellow workers, to join an organization, a union, and to build community amidst these attacks. We will fight back against the attacks on workers, on healthcare, on immigrants, on women and reproductive rights, and on the environment.”

The closing speech in the lineup was from Angel Smith-El, a longtime community activist and organizer with the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice. Smith-El highlighted how oppressed nationalities and the urban poor have faced attacks and challenges such as the most recent ones posed by the passage of the BBB and had stood up and fought back for their rights. Closing out her speech, she succinctly exclaimed, “Tax the rich, stop the cuts!”

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #Labor #Trump #BBB #MWU #MIRAC #MLP #MNAWC #TCC4J #MLWC

Minneapolis, MN – On a rainy Monday evening, June 30, hundreds of Minnesotans lined Lake Street with signs and chants to protest the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to give sweeping power to Trump, which could ultimately allow him to end birthright citizenship.

The decision came on Friday June 27. Legal experts say ending birthright citizenship, a right enshrined by the 14th Amendment since 1868, is a direct attack on the Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court sidestepped directly ruling on President Trump’s racist order, for now.

The court agreed with Trump’s lawyers to limit the ability of federal judges to issue universal injunctions from now on. This drastic move takes power away from the judiciary and hands it to Trump. Now whatever legally dubious executive orders Trump may dream up cannot be stopped in every state by federal judges; they can only be paused for the specific client or class that is suing the government.

While the Supreme Court did not rule on the merits of Trump’s clearly illegal attempt to change the Constitution via executive order regarding birthright citizenship, its decision to expand presidential power and restrict judicial power creates a chaotic legal situation where such orders can be implemented in much of the country, while being blocked in other parts of the country or for particular plaintiffs or classes represented in class action lawsuits.

Protesters yelled “Chinga la migra!” and “No one is illegal, all power to the people!” as passing cars on busy Lake Street honked in support during rush hour traffic. The energy stayed high as the crowd heard from five speakers, and despite some rain, stayed for a spirited march through the surrounding neighborhood.

People came out of their houses and onto their porches to support the protest, and patrons at local businesses cheered on as participants marched by with signs that read: “Defend birthright citizenship” and “If the courts won’t stop Trump, the people must stop him.”

Bruce Nestor, a longtime movement lawyer who has defended many activists from state repression, said “To attack birthright citizenship expands the ability of immigration agents to go to every nook and cranny of the country – not just the border, not just within 100 miles of the border, but every school, every hospital – now it allows them to go back. What if your parents were legal permanent residents and it was revoked months later because someone said they made a mistake?”

Dieu Do from the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee shared, “My parents were not citizens when they had me. Birthright citizenship is why I am a U.S. citizen. So, the Supreme Court decision that was announced last week really hit home for me. What is legal about kidnapping people in broad daylight and deporting them without due process? What is legal about deliberately targeting people at courthouses and picking people up as they are going to and from hearings? What is legal about revoking student visas for speaking up for Palestine and human rights on their campuses?”

Other speakers included members of the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, Students for a Democratic Society, and the MN Anti War Committee. Dieu Do ended the speaking portion of the program, stating, “We will continue to protest, be in the streets, calling for legalization for all and an end to mass deportations and raids and demanding justice for all. Because the people united will never be defeated!”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #Trump #MIRAC #TCC4J #SDS #MNAWC #Feature

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

Saint Paul, MN – A crowd gathered outside the building that houses the state of Minnesota Department of Corrections to support the calls to “Free Cornelius Jackson. Free Nico Redding. Free them all!” The May 28 protest and press conference was organized by the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-Sentenced Families Council MN (WIAOSFC).

Founder Alissa Washington stated, “Today marks 19 years since the state of Minnesota stole Cornelius Jackson’s life. He was just 19 years old. A teenager. It was his first time ever in trouble with the law. But instead of stepping into fatherhood and freedom, the state gave him life without the possibility of parole – based solely on lies. There was no physical evidence. No DNA. No confession. Only the word of incentivized jailhouse informants – men who had every reason to lie.”

Jackson is still serving time in Stillwater state prison. Besides needing justice for himself, Jackson is urging those on the outside to also take up the case of fellow inmate Nico Redding.

Nico Redding is 72 years old. His 20-year sentence was due to end in 2005, but sentencing guidelines changed while he was in prison. He has now been incarcerated for over 40 years, for a crime he did not commit. He uses a wheelchair and has other health conditions that have been made worse by the miserable and unsanitary conditions at the 110-year old prison.

Both men were convicted during the era of Minnesota’s notorious “gang task force” era when crooked cops and racist prosecutors openly railroaded people into prison. That task force was exposed long ago, but only two of its victims – Myon Burrell and Marvin Haynes – have seen justice, and they had to wait decades.

Washington called out two of the men in charge of these abuses at the time: Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman and lead prosecutor Mike Furnstahl.

WIAOSFC has been working through all of the “official” avenues to get redress. Washington stated, “We are demanding accountability from the Conviction Integrity Unit, the Criminal Review Unit and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office – who are all failing the very people these programs were created to help,” adding, “We are not asking for mercy. We are demanding justice.”

Other speakers at the Wednesday press conference included community members and a representative from 5051, as well as Angel Smith-El of the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, and Stacey Gurian-Sherman of Minnesotans for a Better Police Contract. Smith-El and Gurian-Sherman called for community control of the police, to stop tragedies like this from happening in the first place.

Alissa Washington and the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-Sentenced Families Council MN say, “We are done begging. We are done waiting. We are demanding action.”

#StPaulMN #MN #InJusticeSystem #WIAOSFC #TCC4J #Feature