Minneapolis, MN – In early December, the Minneapolis city council will vote on a “Community Commission on Police Oversight” (CCPO). But despite the name of this proposed commission, Twin Cities activists say that this commission would do nothing to actually hold police accountable, and community members were not consulted in the creation of this proposal.

On November 28, the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J) held a press conference to bring attention to the many problems with the proposed commission. In addition, they denounced that the actual language for the proposed commission was released to the public less than two days before a key committee – the Minneapolis city council’s Public Health and Safety Committee – voted on it.

Among these issues were the proposed CCPO’s lack of power to discipline officers or make policy changes. The board would only be able to make policy recommendations, and review panels would make recommendations regarding officer discipline. Then the police chief and city officials would make the final decision on these matters.

Currently, Minneapolis has a pathetic system when it comes to holding police accountable – less than 1% of complaints result in discipline. An investigation by Communities United Against Police Brutality revealed that just six out of more than 1600 civilian complaints against MPD officers ended in discipline between 2012 and 2017. Nevertheless, the current structure of that failed entity, the Office of Police Conduct Review, would be largely left in place, but just under a new name, the proposed CCPO.

Another part of the current system is the Police Conduct Oversight Commission, which is supposed to investigate trends of bad policing – but it has not met in over seven months because the majority of the commission’s positions have been kept vacant by the city officials.

Twin Cities activists say one of the main causes of the current system’s failure is “police policing themselves.” The composition of its intake and review panels, consist of two members appointed by the mayor and city council, and two sworn police officers. The CCPO’s review panels would be similar, each one composed of two MPD officers and three members appointed by the mayor and city council.

 Activists say the proposed CCPO would be another toothless board that would allow officers to continue killing and terrorizing community members with no accountability.

On November 30, nearly 20 activists from TCC4J and other organizations testified against the proposed commission at the Public Health and Safety Committee public hearing. In addition to the previously mentioned issues, activists highlighted that commission members would only be paid $50 per meeting, they would be required to meet just four times per year, and information about investigations would not be available to the public.

Despite these concerns, the committee voted 3-2 in favor of moving forward with the CCPO. TCC4J members are now asking that allies contact Minneapolis city council members and urge them to vote ‘no’ for the proposed CCPO before the final votes – December 6 and likely on December 8.

Twin Cities activists continue calling for a Civilian Police Accountability Commission (CPAC), which unlike the proposed CCPO, would be an all-elected board of members with no police affiliation. These members would be required to investigate every civilian complaint and would have the power to discipline officers instead of making recommendations to the police chief. CPAC would also require that the details of every investigation be released to the public. Around 9000 Minneapolis residents have signed a petition so far in support of getting CPAC on the ballot.

#MinneapolisMN #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J #StopPoliceCrimes

They assembled outside Patrick Henry High School, covering their cars with signs bearing slogans such as “Jamar Clark matters” and “Demand community control of police.” After a few announcements, with chants ringing out over a sound system on the roof of a front car, some 60 vehicles caravanned more than three miles through North Minneapolis, ending on Plymouth Avenue, near where Clark was killed.

On November 15, 2015, 24-year-old Jamar Clark was shot in the head just 61 seconds after encountering Minneapolis Police Department officers Dustin Schwarze and Mark Ringgenberg. In the 18 days after Clark’s murder, community members occupied the 4th Precinct police station, and demanded prosecution of the two officers. Organizers say that while Jamar Clark did not get the justice he deserved, from that struggle, they won the end of the automatic use of secret grand juries to cover up police homicide cases, forcing a bit of transparency in these killings.

“We are here today, because Jamar Clark matters. We are here today because the officers that murdered Jamar Clark have faced no accountability. We are here today because there have been no systemic changes to prevent this from happening again. There has been no justice,” said Kelly Thomas of Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar. “We stand here today, lifted up on the shoulders of our ancestors, demanding justice. Demanding meaningful systemic changes.”

She continued, “In TCC4J, one of the ways that we are fighting for our collective freedom is through a Civilian Police Accountability Commission. CPAC. We want police accountability, and we want community control of the police. We can't regulate what we don't control. We can't hold accountable systems that we have no say in. CPAC is how we take control of our futures. CPAC is how we fight back. CPAC is how we start to get justice for all lives stolen by MPD.”

In addition to Thomas, speakers from Black Lives Matter Minnesota, Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, Communities United Against Police Brutality, and members of Jamar Clark’s family all addressed the crowd. They demanded community control of the police via CPAC, the firing of MPD officers Schwarze and Ringgenberg, justice for all stolen lives, and that a new train route stop in the neighborhood be named in honor of Jamar Clark.

#MinneapolisMN #PoliceBrutality #JamarClark #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J

Minneapolis, MN – Around 5000 people marched in protest here February 5, to demand justice for Amir Locke, a 22-year-old Black man murdered by police on February 2. Police were carrying out a no-knock search warrant on the apartment where Locke was sleeping and shot him three times, nine seconds after they snuck open the door. Protesters demand jail, prosecution and murder charges for the officer who shot Amir and those who planned the raid; an end to no-knock warrants; and the resignation of the Minneapolis Police Chief Huffington and Mayor Frey.

There have been multiple protests since the murder of Amir Locke, including a 100-plus vehicle car caravan through downtown, organized by CAIR-MN the night before Saturday’s protest.

The February 5 protest was initiated by the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J), endorsed by over a dozen groups. Amir’s father Andre Locke and other family member were the featured speakers.

#MinneapolisMN #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #MinneapolisPoliceDepartment #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J #AmirLocke

Minneapolis, MN – Around 5000 people marched in protest here February 5, to demand justice for Amir Locke, a 22-year-old Black man murdered by police on February 2. Police were carrying out a no-knock search warrant on the apartment where Locke was sleeping and shot him three times, nine seconds after they snuck open the door. Protesters demand jail, prosecution and murder charges for the officer who shot Amir and those who planned the raid; an end to no-knock warrants; and the resignation of the Minneapolis Police Chief Huffington and Mayor Frey.

There have been multiple protests since the murder of Amir Locke, including a 100-plus vehicle car caravan through downtown, organized by CAIR-MN the night before Saturday’s protest.

The February 5 protest was initiated by the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J), endorsed by over a dozen groups. Amir’s father Andre Locke and other family member were the featured speakers.

#MinneapolisMN #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #MinneapolisPoliceDepartment #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J #AmirLocke

A statement from Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar (TCC4J) noted, “Officers were allegedly executing a search warrant, but instead they executed a human being. According to police chief Huffman, after nine seconds, the cops ‘encountered’ the victim and fired. As with police murder of Winston Smith last summer, violent cops turned ‘executing a warrant’ into a death sentence.”

As of February 4, there have been many mobilizations in response to the murder. The next upcoming protest, initiated by TCC4J and endorsed by over a dozen groups, will be Saturday, February 5, at 3 p.m., starting at Hennepin County Government Center.

On evening of the murder, February 2, community members gathered for held a vigil outside of the apartment building where Amir Locke was killed. The Racial Justice Network, Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, CAIR-MN, TCC4J, Communities United Against Police Brutality, and a few other groups spoke to the crowd and media in bitter, below zero wind chills.

Local activists immediately demanded that authorities release the body camera footage. After a day of refusing, they released footage on Thursday night. It showed police doing a no-knock warrant, sneaking the door open, then screaming garbled gibberish before shooting Locke nine seconds later.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Interim Police Chief Amelia Huffman held a press conference Thursday. Many activists were in the audience. Nekima Levy Armstrong, a civil rights activist and Minneapolis attorney and founder of the Racial Justice Network, expressed frustration and anger over Amir’s murder. “Don’t cover up for what those cops did,” Levy Armstrong told Mayor Frey. “If they knew that the kid had a gun after he started waking up, say ‘drop your weapon’. They didn’t do that. One cop opened fire and took the life of a child.”

Michelle Gross, CUAPB, denounced the city of Minneapolis’ initially releasing a photo of Amir’s gun, even though he never fired it, adding in a statement, “Was this an attempt to vilify Mr. Locke, a legal gun owner with a conceal and carry permit? Was the purpose to obscure the fact that Mr. Locke had every right to defend himself against intruders?”

Audience members at the press conference asked Mayor Frey and acting Chief Huffman multiple times why Amir was listed as a suspect in Minneapolis’ initial press release (he was not a suspect) and other pointed questions about the murder. Huffman and Frey responded to by walking out of the room.

Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Center for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN), then declared, “This is what we’ve been fighting against since George Floyd was killed. Running away from accountability and transparency.” Hussein said, “This young man did not have a chance. This was Breonna Taylor in Minneapolis.”

On Friday, February 4, the Amir Locke’s parents, Andre Locke and Karen Wells, and their attorneys, Ben Crump and Jeff Storms, held a press conference, where Wells stated, “I am going to fight, every day, throughout the day, 365 days to make sure that Amir Locke gets justice for being executed by the MPD.”

Community Control of the Police

Calls for justice have failed to prevent the deaths of Dolal Idd, Winston Smith, and now Amir Locke since George Floyd’s murder in May of 2020. Since this time, Minneapolis has seen multiple attempts by various entities to “reimagine public safety.” The November 2021 elections saw the failure of a ballot measure which would have embedded armed officers into a new Department of Public Safety. After this failure, Mayor Frey commissioned a Community Safety Workgroup to develop public safety and accountability recommendations. What these efforts lack is the power to change the MPD.

Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar, along with Minneapolis for Community Control of Police (M4CCP), has been leading a campaign to amend the city charter to include the Civilian Police Accountability Commission (CPAC), an elected body that would have authority to discipline, fire, and hire police. Coalition members have collected signatures in an effort to get the charter amendment on the ballot in Minneapolis. Community control of police efforts have seen increased support across the Midwest. to prevent murders by the police, such as Amir Locke’s killing, and other police misconduct.

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J #AmirLocke

Minneapolis, MN – On July 22, 50 people gathered outside Minneapolis City Hall for a press conference in defense of the 646-plus people who were arrested on November 4, 2020. They demanded City Attorney Jim Rowder and other prosecutors drop the charges against the 646, and that the charges be dropped against all protesters since the murder of George Floyd last summer.

On November 4, the day after the elections, over 1000 protesters took to the streets of Minneapolis to demand a fair presidential election and justice for Black lives lost to police brutality. For part of the march, the crowd embarked on what would have been a six-block march, ten-minute march on eastbound Interstate 94. They were prevented from leaving the highway by a combination of heavily-armed police forces, including the National Guard.

The cops held protesters on the highway for six hours and stopped traffic in all lanes on both directions of the interstate. The community members were then arrested, piled into buses and released at random locations across the metro area, leaving minors stranded as far away as the Mall of America in the city of Bloomington. Concerned bystanders overlooking the freeway were also arrested, and many were brutalized by police for simply watching the injustice taking place. The police action was the state’s largest mass arrest in recent state history.

Speakers at the July 22 press conference included the Twin Cities Coalition Justice for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J), Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Minnesota Workers United, the Anti-War Committee, Students for a Democratic Society – University of Minnesota, CAIR, Communities United Against Police Brutality, Black Lives Matter-MN. Those groups, along with other organizations, answered the National Alliance Against Political Repression’s November call to action to demand a people’s agenda during the Biden regime and to not allow Trump to steal an election.

Loretta VanPelt, of TCC4J said, “The racist hypocrisy of the city of Minneapolis, and state of Minnesota is fully exposed when charges can be dropped against Bogdan Vechirko for driving a semi into protesters on the freeway. Meanwhile, prosecution persists for protesting. If that’s the case, then charges can be dropped against protesters on a highway who exercised their First Amendment rights and defended the right to vote and were right about Trump trying to steal an election. We demand the charges be dropped for the 646-plus and all other political prisoners! We demand community control of the police so that racist repression of democratic rights doesn’t occur again.”

Over 230 Black people across the U.S. have been killed by police since George Floyd was tortured and murdered by Derek Chauvin. All the while, the white supremacist right wing continues to try to revive Trump’s regime – an action that the November protest was called to prevent.

The speakers also demanded that charges be dropped from all protesters arrested for participating in the George Floyd Uprising. If the community had not risen up to demand justice for George Floyd, Derek Chauvin would likely be free today, the organizers said. Yet hundreds of community members are facing charges ranging from petty misdemeanors to felonies for standing up for basic rights.

Besides City Attorney Jim Rowder, activists placed the demand to “Drop the charges” on Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman and Governor Tim Walz. Most of those arrested are still waiting on court dates.

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #PoliticalRepression #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J #MN646

The lynching of George Floyd sparked an uprising that transformed the Black-led movement against police terror in this country. Fight Back! interviewed several activists who found their places in this movement in the past year – four newer members of Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J) and the Executive Assistant for Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence (FSFAPV). TCC4J is a chapter of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. FSFAPV is a group of Minnesota families who have lost loved ones to police violence.

Fight Back!: What did you see and do during the uprising?

Taren Vang: George Floyd was a light that guided us in how we amplified the voices of other stolen lives in Minnesota. Helping to get justice for George Floyd meant that there would be a greater possibility for other cases to be revisited in this state.

During the uprising I helped organize events with the founder of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, Toshira Garraway Allen. We knew that we had to put a spotlight on the governor, mayors, elected officials, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension [the state agency that investigates most police homicides], and legislation in order to make actual change.

Organizing events with families who have lost loved ones to police violence can be very difficult. Relationships had to be made and trust had to be formed. These families are traumatized and weary of outsiders who said they would help but never followed through.

We had to learn the truth of what really happened to these stolen lives and the false narratives the media chose to report. It is important to learn the facts of how they were murdered but even more important to honor who they were as a person. People needed to hear directly from impacted families. There is so much pain, grief, and hope for change!

DeShaun McDonald: After George Floyd was murdered in broad daylight and watching a video that evening, the next day I went to 38th and Chicago to mourn with the rest of the community. After listening to folks speak, we left on a protest march to the 3rd Precinct – the start of a long awakening experience I never thought I would experience in my lifetime, or in this country.

Upon walking to the 3rd Precinct, we were met with police in riot gear ready to attack members of the community. They stood around their building as if ready to go to war with those who they were supposed to serve and protect, with their flash bangs, and whatever kind of military equipment to disperse the crowd. For the next few nights, police overused rubber bullets, flash bangs and gas.

Kelly Thomas: During the uprising, I saw a lot of people who were out in the streets for the very first time. There were so many people who just weren't able to stay at home doing nothing or almost nothing anymore. We showed up nervous but driven, confused but focused, and untrained but determined to learn and contribute. A lot of us showed up alone because we didn't have anyone in our lives to show up with. A lot of us were afraid, but we weren't willing to let fear control us and keep us from fighting.

When George Floyd was murdered, I basically stopped showing up to work. I helped with clean up in the streets, made supply runs, and attended marches, often during the workday. Shortly after, I started marshaling and helping at an encampment and was often leaving early and getting in late. Most of my coworkers had no idea how to support me, but they tried, and many even contributed money to various supply runs.

Wanja Kuria: During the uprising, I saw the community come together to demand justice in a way that moved the world. I saw people feeding and hydrating protesters, medics and marshals keeping us safe, new friendships emerging in the midst of trauma, and the terror that the police inflict on people who dare to hold them accountable.

The night the 3rd Precinct was burned down, two friends and I rented Nice Ride bikes and cycled from East to West Lake. It was amazing to see people show up in such a powerful and unified way. Some neighbors were taking care of protesters and supporting their efforts, there were little dumpster fires on every residential intersection, and people were exhilarated. The energy was palpable and it showed me the power that protesters have when we organize, utilize a multitude of tactics, and refuse to relent.

Jae Yates: Before I joined TCC4J for Taking Back Pride, I was doing mutual aid with a group of friends and fellow interns. I and a few others were first aid-trained, so we would buy groceries and supplies to distribute to various sites during the first half of the day, then go out to medic at night.

I remember we were out a little earlier because we had just seen the semi-truck run through the protest on Interstate 35W. We headed to the highway near campus to see if we could help anyone who had been hurt and help the people getting gassed by cops on the exit ramps. We were on University helping someone who had gotten scraped up climbing up the barrier when someone started yelling that the National Guard was there with live rounds. We heard some popping noises really close by and we couldn't tell if they were gunshots, so we were hiding in the alley between the apartments and a cafe, a bit freaked out with an injured person. And then we see this girl who looked like a student pop her head around the wall like, “Hey, you can hide in my apartment, cops and National Guard have been fucking with medics, I want you guys to be safe.” So we just hid in this person's apartment until it felt safe to get back to our car and drop off the injured person at home.

It was a really good moment that reminded me that there were people on our side, that the community around us believed in getting justice even if that meant letting dirty, tired medics come into their studio apartment.

Fight Back!: How did the uprising shape events over the past year?

McDonald: I believe the uprising finally opened the eyes of the world (as we were on lockdown) to what POC folks have been experiencing with police in our country. Showing how white supremacy has been alive and well, living in all aspects of life in this country. It has brought the community together to demand changes within so many systems to combat white supremacy.

Thomas: Minnesota has a long history of the community turning up to demand justice, like the occupation of the 4th Precinct in 2015 after the murder of Jamar Clark and the marches for Philando Castile in 2016. The community has always been able to turn up fast and hard when needed. But this last year, I think we've seen steady growth in the number of organizations who can quickly mobilize resources. When Dolal Idd was murdered [December 30, 2020], within two hours we had medics, marshals, the sound truck with speakers and microphones, protesters, wood, fire, handwarmers, extra socks, and the street shut down.

It's feeling like the state is finally starting to recognize the power of the people. Kobe Heisler was murdered by Brooklyn Center police two years ago. Daunte Wright was murdered by police last month. Already they've [Brooklyn Center city council] passed the Daunte Wright and Kobe Dimock-Heisler Community Safety and Violence Prevention Resolution.

Kuria: I think the uprising gave momentum in many ways to those who have been fighting for other stolen lives at the hands of police. In the last year I have met the local families whose loved ones were murdered anywhere from one to 20 years ago. Because the whole world was watching Minnesota, a lot of those families were given a greater platform to demand justice for their own family members.

After the guilty verdict, I was able to hug DelShea Perry, the mother of Hardel Sherrell, and watched as she gave an interview with tears in her eyes and hope in her voice. She felt that there might be a chance for her son too and was invigorated to continue fighting.

And while it’s hard to be optimistic that anything will come from it, the federal government is investigating the Minneapolis Police Department, which is historically significant.

Fight Back!: Tell us about one or two things that were built, accomplished or transformed because of the uprising.

Vang: The most impactful event that I organized last summer was for my boyfriend Travis Jordan. He was murdered by the Minneapolis Police Dept on November 9, 2018, during a wellness check. Not many people knew of his murder because it was not video recorded and did not go viral.

I organized a protest for him on his 38th birthday in front of the MPD 4th Precinct. A spotlight needed to be on this precinct. To bring awareness to how corrupted this precinct was, I tried to connect with other families that had lost loved ones by police officers from the same precinct. In attendance were the families of Travis Jordan, Jamar Clark, Fong Lee, and Chiasher Fong Vue. I wanted people to know that these murders were not an isolated incident in North Minneapolis.

There were people murdered in Minneapolis before George Floyd. If there would have been accountability for them, George Floyd would still be alive!

I witnessed a lot of love and support from the community for this event. Allyship was built between complete strangers. Whenever there was a request for something, someone always came through to help. The youth in the community really stepped up and showed what they were capable of accomplishing not only for Travis but other stolen lives. They truly amplified the voices of those who were forgotten! They made such an impactful statement that is still being talked about today.

Kuria: While it’s certainly a work in progress, it has been amazing to see different ethnic communities coming together to fight for liberation. I have seen some of the distance between the local African and African American communities growing smaller as Africans have realized that they are not exempt from police brutality. As an African, it’s been healing to see other Africans who had never identified as Black see themselves in the struggle for Black liberation. It was such an important part of my journey to unpack internalized racism, so it’s been incredible to see that happening on a community level.

Yates: The mass arrests of 646 people on November 4 were a pivotal moment in terms of people really understanding that protests were being criminalized, but only certain protests and only ones deemed dangerous by an arbitrary standard. Armed white supremacists had been showing up to the governor's mansion, having rallies in the streets near the capitol but had never once met the same overwhelming show of force we had been shown the whole summer. Those arrests felt like a crystalizing moment where people saw the contradictions; we were getting felony charges for laser pointers while white supremacists were all but welcomed by police in public space.

Despite frustration at the time, for a lot of people in attendance and the bystanders who were brutalized by the cops, that was really the last veil for folks who still thought that police exist to protect the public and it gave us an opportunity for political education. That is something we've worked to build in the movement that is so critical to liberation.

When people understand why they're engaging in political struggles beyond just slogans and individual events, I think that's where real meaningful coalition-building can begin. I'm proud to work with people who believe in collective power and think that we will only continue to build in the future.

One of the big accomplishments of TCC4J this year was getting our Civilian Police Accountability Commission (CPAC) legislation and charter language finalized. it’s been amazing to see how many people in the community see CPAC for what it is: a revolutionary path toward justice and self-determination that puts power back in the hands of the people. This is the first time that the police corruption will be meaningfully challenged and, with the momentum we’ve built from the uprising, I believe we can gain community control in the very near future.

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J #GeorgeFloyd

Minneapolis, MN – Nearly 150 people rallied in North Minneapolis, March 25, to launch a massive voter petition campaign to amend the city charter and establish an all-elected Civilian Police Accountability Commission (CPAC).

They began outside the Minneapolis Police Department 4th Precinct building on Plymouth Avenue. Once the site of an 18-day occupation demanding justice for Jamar Clark in 2015, the precinct building is now surrounded by barricades, fencing and barbed wire, like other police precincts and government buildings in the city where killer cop Derek Chauvin is on trial for the murder of George Floyd.

The Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J) has been organizing for several years to build support for community control of the police. This start of the petition campaign, politically organized by the new grouping called Minneapolis for Community Control of Police (MCCP), is a major step. Once MCCP gathers the signatures of about 12,000 registered voters, the charter amendment can go on the ballot.

Several movement leaders addressed the media and supporters on the significance of fighting for community control in the city that sparked a national rebellion in response to Floyd’s murder. Emcees Destiny Franks and Sam Martinez kept the energy high with chants between speakers.

After the main speakers, there was the official signing of the first petition. Jamar Clark’s mother, Irma Burns, was the very first person to sign, followed by her husband. Then folks from across the city – Black, native and white, including a union president and a great grandmother – filled in the rest of the page, with the crowd cheering after each signer.

CPAC is community control of police

CPAC – an all elected Civilian Police Accountability Commission – puts the power over police in the hands of those that are most affected by police violence. The CPAC would have hiring and firing power, which would allow them to remove cops with previous records of abuse and violence. The CPAC would also set policy and protocol for interacting with civilians, and any and all complaints would be reviewed to ensure that officers are taken off the streets immediately following an incident. Additionally, because the main goal of a CPAC is to give power to the community, they ultimately decide whether to abolish, dismantle or defund police, not members of city government whose main concern is protecting property and profit over people.

A TCC4J statement notes, “We demand the power to decide who polices our communities and how our communities are policed. We demand the power to get racist and violent cops off our streets – no more serial killers! We've had enough with leaving power in the hands of a mayor and City Council that have failed to hold police accountable. We're done with letting the police ‘police’ themselves – because they just don't. Enough is enough, it's time to fight for community control of police. In Minneapolis, that fight begins with amending the city charter to establish an elected Civilian Police Accountability Commission.”

The crowd then marched a few blocks to the site where Jamar Clark was killed in 2015, where the rally continued, there were homemade cupcakes for all, provided by movement youth, and every Minneapolis resident in attendance clamored for their chance to sign the petition for CPAC.

The community speaks out

Several speakers addressed the crowd at the 4th Precinct building and at the closing rally.

Jae Yates, of TCC4J said the group “has fought against police brutality alongside the families of Jamar Clark, Justin Teigen, Marcus Golden and many others fighting for justice for stolen lives. CPAC is a tangible, radical proposition that carries forward the vision of the Black Panther Party of the 60s, a vision where the people have direct control over policing. It is a concrete plan that emphasizes accountability for the families who continue to grieve those stolen from them by police. It gives people the power to defund, discipline and, in the words of Frank Chapman of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, ‘regulate the police out of existence.’ It is the communities that are most affected by police violence that know what we need and what we don’t.”

Yates closed by saying, “While others push for meaningless diversity trainings, name changes and toothless, vague reforms, we fight for true change, aligned with the larger struggle for Black liberation and sovereignty for all oppressed nations. We at TCC4J stand with the National Alliance, the families fighting for justice for their loved ones, and all people who organize for a future free of police terror. All power to the people!”

Cherrene Horazuk, president of AFSCME Local 3800 and member of Minnesota Workers United told the crowd, “Hundreds of AFSCME 3800 members live in the neighborhood here, where Jamar Clark was killed, and in the neighborhood where George Floyd was killed by the police. The mere fact that an organization like the Minneapolis Police Federation calls itself a trade union does not make it part of the labor movement. You are not part of the labor movement and not a real union if you defend white supremacy and brutality in your midst.”

Horazuk continued, “We are here to say to the elected and police officials in the city of Minneapolis: You’ve had your chance to hold the police accountable. You have failed. And with each killing by the police, you have failed more and more spectacularly. We’re here today as a union to band with others to demand a Civilian Police Accountability Commission. The time is now for community control.”

Jaylani Hussein, executive director of CAIR Minnesota, blasted the city’s weak complaint review process, saying it has gotten “3000 complaints in its eight years. Of those, only 20 officers have faced some form of discipline. That is less than half a percent of complaints. And the majority of people who face police brutality, fear retribution and intimidation from the police, so they never bring forth those complaints, including my own brother who was brutalized by the police, who did not bring forward a case because he feared the police.”

Hussein then went on to acknowledge Jalyne Murray, a Black youth who exposed an incident where police punched and brutalized youth. “That’s what we need. We need people to take back the control. The idea of community control of police has existed for a long time. They have given us, many places across this country, a watered down version, where citizens are not able to fire, where citizens are not able to hold police accountable. Here in Minneapolis, we can start and create the best form of community control of police. That is what we need. This system lives in a closed system. It lives in darkness. It never likes a little bit of light. It does not like transparency. It does not like accountability.”

He mentioned an eight-bill package of police accountability measures that groups have been pressuring for at the state capitol, including one strengthening community control all over the state. “People have been asking, what is the solution? Here is a solution right in front of you: community control of the police.”

Longtime community leader and activist, Samantha Pree-Gonzalez said that the city of Minneapolis budget has “a permanent line item that is funding death in this city, because we know that the cops are going to murder people. We know that someone is going to lose an eye or a limb or some other issue to the point where the city actually funds a permanent line-item for this. What we’re saying is, we don’t want to pay for death. We want to pay for life! It’s time to have control of our communities. Not just police, but beyond policing.”

Travis Jordan and George Floyd were remembered by loved ones Paul Johnson and Cortez Rice, who spoke about these men killed by Minneapolis police. Movement leader Michelle Gross spoke, as did Anti-War Committee member Meredith Aby-Keirstead.

The Minneapolis for Community Control of Police campaign includes Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar and is supported by Black Lives Matter Twin Cities Metro, Blue LIES Matter, CAIR Minnesota, Families Supporting Families, Justice for Marcus Golden, Native Lives Matter, AFSCME Local 3800, AFSCME Local 2822, Anti-War Committee, FRSO Twin Cities, MN Workers United, MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Student Movement Activists of South High, Twin Cities Omega Zuluz (Zulu Union), UMN Students for a Democratic Society, Women Against Military Madness.

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J #CivilianPoliceAccountabilityCommissionCPAC

Minneapolis, MN – On January 3, over 1200 people marched in South Minneapolis to demand justice for Dolal Idd, who was killed by the Minneapolis police department on December 30.

The lead organization was the Minnesota Council on Islamic Relations (CAIR), supported by the rest of the anti-police terror movement. The rally started at the spot where Dolal Idd was killed, at the Holiday gas station at 36th Street and Cedar Avenue. The large crowd heard speakers, including Dolal's father, then went on a spirited march to Lake Street and looped back to the starting point. This is the third protest since Idd was murdered.

Monique Cullars Doty, a prominent local activist, spoke about the raid on the Idd family home – which happened before the cops informed them that Dolal Idd had been killed. “I am the aunt of Marcus Golden who was shot in the back of his head while parked in his vehicle. They came and raided my mother’s house to get a gun that he legally owned, some 11 hours later, as they tried to craft their lies [that Marcus was armed when they killed him].”

Cullars Doty made the connection: “I watched the video of this [Idd’s] family in their home at 2 a.m. – door busted down, handcuffed, and the little baby who needs help, the police giving him orders, the officer telling the other child ‘You’re OK.’ No, he’s not OK, because there’s been an invasion! I’m tired of the police trying to tell us how we feel in the face of injustice. This has got to stop. This is what happens when police come into the home to look for evidence because they have to create a justification for murder.”

Loretta Van Pelt and Jess Sundin spoke for Twin Cities Coalition 4 Justice 4 Jamar. In addition to demanding justice for Idd, they called for community control of police, to ensure that the community has the power to get rid of racist and violent cops once and for all.

The crowd continued to swell for hours, with protesters still arriving at the starting point as the march returned to the site. Attendees included a large majority of women and youth, many from the Somali community.

There are still many unanswered questions about the night of December 30, when MPD killed the young Somali American man. It is the second killing of a Black person by the MPD in 2020. It is also the second police murder of a Somali man in about a year and half in Minnesota, after Isak Aden was killed by several police in Eagan in July of 2019.

Much like with the murder of George Floyd, the MPD immediately began their public relations smear campaign, including releasing a 27-second body cam video which doesn’t shed light onto the sequence of events. However, it does show how police penned in Idd and fired several shots into his car as he was ambushed – a fate that is unfortunately all too familiar to Black people across the United States. Unbelievably, a woman who was in the car at the time remained unscathed but unheard from after the incident. The community has many questions regarding the whereabouts of this woman. The community is also demanding answers as to why Hennepin County Sheriff's deputies raided Idd's family home hours after he was murdered.

The Washington Post keeps database of people killed by police terror since 2015, the same year Jamar Clark was killed. Each year they have tracked almost 1000 cases. Again, with the murder of Idd and others the total count stands at 999 across the U.S. for 2020. It is clear that, without a major overhaul to the policing system via community control of the police, we will continue to see high levels of police terror in our communities.

The rally and march ended with additional speeches and the community vowed to continue the fight for justice and police accountability.

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #CouncilOnAmericanIslamicRelations #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J #JusticeForDolalIdd

Bayport, MN – After 18 long years, Myon Burrell walked out the doors of Stillwater prison, to a cheering crowd of family and 100-plus community supporters. First embraced by his sister Ianna Burrell from the front, and his son Myon Burrell, Jr. from the back, he slowly made his way to the outside stairs to chants of, “Welcome home!” and “Myon’s free!”

Burrell made his way through the crowd, and then said, “I thank everybody who came out and supported me. I can’t even explain my gratitude. All my supporters, I love y’all. Y’all take care. And y’all keep on pushing, man, we fighting for justice. There’s too much injustice going on.” Then he threw his fist into the air and got into a car to leave the prison behind, leaving the crowd chanting, “Myon’s free!”

Burrell’s son said this was the best day of his life, “It ain’t ‘Free Myon’ no more. Myon’s free!”

These emotional events came after a decision earlier that day, when the Minnesota Pardon Board considered Burrell’s case. He had asked for a pardon and commutation. A pardon was denied, but a commutation was approved on the grounds that Burrell was just 16 years old when went on trial for the murder of 11-year-old Tyesha Edwards, who was killed by a bullet that came through the wall of her home while she was at a table doing homework. A national panel of legal experts had reviewed the case and issued a 59-page report that concluded that Burrell should be freed, both because of the dubious grounds for his conviction and because his sentence was extreme for a juvenile, compared to today’s standards.

Burrell’s case has been in the spotlight since former prosecutor and Minnesota’s U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar campaigned for president last year. She cited the case as an example of her work on behalf of the Black community. Her last public event before she dropped out of the campaign was shut down and taken over by hundreds rallying to “Free Myon.” Many of the organizers of that protest were on hand to welcome Myon Burrell home. Several spoke to the media, including Elizer Darris, ACLU; Nekima Levy Armstrong, Racial Justice Network; Jaylani Hussein, CAIR-Minnesota; Rosemary Nevils Williams; Jess Sundin, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J); and Toshira Garraway Allen, Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence.

Addressing the media after Burrell had departed, the activists called for continuing the fight for justice for Myon Burrell, including exoneration. He was released from prison, but he will remain under supervised release for two more years, and going forward, a convicted felon. They denounced the police and prosecutorial misconduct that led to Burrell’s wrongful conviction and that of many others, and which also shields police from accountability for murders of community members.

#BayportMN #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #PoliticalPrisoners #Antiracism #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J #MyonBurrell

Minneapolis, MN – On November 14, over 150 people gathered in North Minneapolis to honor the five-year mark since Jamar Clark was killed by the Minneapolis Police department on November 15, 2015. It also marks the five-year anniversary of the heightened struggle locally against police terror and its progression to demand community control of the police to stop killer cops.

New and veteran members of Twin Cities Coalition 4 Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J) lead the protesters from the neighborhood that Minnesota Attorney General Elision lives in, to the memorial site of Plymouth and James Avenues, where Clark was killed.

Precautions against COVID were taken, including shifting to a well-organized car caravan protest.

In addition to the call for justice for Jamar and TCC4J’s longtime demand of community control of police, the demands for the march include calls to: -- Reopen all the cases against killer cops -- Free all political prisoners, such as Myon Burrell and the protesters who were jailed during the summer uprising -- Ban the use of memory-altering drugs and reassess EMT training, specifically addressing the racial bias within it; hold EMTs accountable for their complicity with the police in administering drugs such as ketamine, and their delaying treatment of victims.

Speakers from the movement, families and TCC4J echoed the lessons learned in the struggle for justice for Jamar and to continue to build the movement. TCC4J encourages people to attend the new member meetings to build the fight for CPAC!

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #JamarClark #civilianPoliceAccountabilityCouncilCPAC #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J

Minneapolis, MN – On Halloween, over 150 people marched through Uptown Minneapolis to the Fifth Precinct police station. The march was organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and co-hosted by the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J) and several other groups.

Starting at Lagoon and Dupont Avenues, the march was kicked off with a performance by the Kalpulli KetzalCoatlicue danzantes and a few speakers. A representative from Minnesota Workers United spoke about the horrifying impact the Trump presidency has had on the working class and the importance of defeating him come election day – he went on to discuss how no matter who wins the election, the status quo is harmful to the working class and we must keep the fight in the streets.

A speaker from the Climate Justice Committee talked about how one of Trump’s first actions was approving the Dakota Access Pipeline, which is actively harming indigenous communities and our environment – she also made the same point that even if Joe Biden wins the election, this fight will continue. The speaker from the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), the group that hosted the march, talked about Trump’s newly released plan for immigrants and how we must defeat him for the sake of our neighbors, as well as the importance of continuing the fight for Legalization for All.

The march then moved east on Lake Street, a major Chicano and immigrant corridor. Chants like “Trump, Biden, no retreat, keep your asses in the street,” and “If we don’t get it, shut it down,” rang out as people marched a mile to the Fifth Precinct building. Residents and business owners came outside to cheer on and show support for the march and the message to dump Trump.

At the Fifth Precinct, which has been the site of many protests and arrests in the past months, the protesters stopped and held the intersection. There was another performance by the danzantes, as well as a few more speakers. The sister of Isak Aden, who was murdered by local police in 2019, spoke about how as a Black Muslim woman, every presidential administration has done harm to her and how we’ll have to keep the struggle in the streets no matter who wins the election.

As the group marched to the starting point, they retook Lake Street, and like before, took all four lanes of traffic for nearly a mile. Upon returning to the starting point, the importance of attending the post-election march on November 4 at 6 p.m. in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood was announced.

#MinneapolisMN #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommitteeMIRAC #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J

Minneapolis, MN – More than 3000 rallied on the Hennepin County Government Center Plaza, June 13, as people across the country rallied and marched against police crimes. The spirited rally was followed by a march through downtown streets.

The protest was initially called by Black Lives Matter Minnesota as an International Solidarity Day of Protest Against Police Terror. The Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar joined the effort, as a part of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repressions’ National Day of Action to Stop Police Crimes. The Native Lives Matter Youth Alliance also joined, with a rally and march to this event, organized “to remember and raise awareness about our children taken by the police.”

The Freedom Road Socialist Organization was present at the protest, with members carrying a banner reading, “It’s right to rebel! End police crimes.”

#MinneapolisMN #PoliceBrutality #PeoplesStruggles #NationalDayOfAction #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J

St. Paul, MN – On Friday, June 5, the day after the Minneapolis memorial for George Floyd, and two days after all of his killers were finally charged for his murder, the building that houses the office of state Attorney General Keith Ellison was shut down by some 3000 protesters who came to demand more than charges in this single case. Organized by the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J), they called for re-opening all the cases of police homicide that district attorneys have failed to prosecute in counties across the state, and for community control of police to bring an end to police crimes against their communities. At the same time, they pledged to keep pressure on AG Ellison, to ensure he effectively prosecutes the four fired cops who murdered Floyd.

Protesters filled the street and sidewalks for two blocks, rallying with speakers from community, labor and student groups, as well as family members of loved ones killed by police.

AFSCME Local 3800 member Meron Negussie began by calling for justice for Breonna Taylor, who was killed by police in her Louisville home. “George Floyd was murdered in broad daylight in Minneapolis, which led to the arrest of four former officers involved. It took not just Minnesota but the whole world for that to happen in a system that is designed to oppress and terrorize and oppress brown and Black folk. We made that happen. Power to the people!”

“The murdering of Black and brown people is the great American pastime,” said Mahva Jones, also of AFSCME 3800. “This is not a moment; this is a movement. We are here to take over. We are not here to stand by and let this crap continue.”

All of Floyd’s killer have been arrested, and the prosecution was taken out of the hands of County Attorney Mike Freeman, whose delays gave rise to a nationwide outpouring of rage and the burning of hundreds of buildings in the Twin Cities, including the Third Precinct police station. Almost every speaker expressed no confidence that the case was safe in the hands of AG Ellison.

“Now is not the time to get complacent. Now is the time for boots on the ground, and squeeze!” said Don Williams, grandfather of Brian Quiñones, a hip hop artist whose was murdered by police in Richfield, Minnesota in September 2019. In response to the scrutiny now faced by the Minneapolis police department, he said, “If the Department of Justice or somebody investigates the MPD, they need to turn around and investigate the Hennepin County District Attorney’s office, both of Mike Freeman’s terms and Amy Klobuchar’s term.”

The Twin Cities have been rocked by massive protests every day, and nightly clashes with police, in response to the murder of George Floyd last Monday night. Marques Armstrong from Racial Justice Network said, “We ain’t following their rules anymore because their rules are set up for us to fail and them to win.” He added, “I bet they know now that we serious as hell about this!”

Gabriel Black Elk of Native Lives Matter spoke about his brother Paul Castaway, who was killed by Denver police. When he struggled for words, the crowd chanted, “We’ve got your back!” He also told the story of a Native woman who was killed by police in New Brunswick, Canada, just two days before. The crowd joined him in chants of “Justice for Chantel Moore!”

A close friend of Travis Jordan spoke about how he was murdered by Minneapolis police last year, when a wellness check turned into a senseless murder.

Sharaunta Beach from AFSCME 2822 also called for the ouster of Mike Freeman and Amy Klobuchar. She said, “We want justice. We want justice now. We gotta stand up, boots on the ground, and fight back.”

Kobe Heisler was killed by Brooklyn Center police last September. His father, Jason Heisler said, “My son is a Black autistic man, who was 21 years old, unarmed in his own house. We don’t need cops taking a knee, we need to change the police force. It needs systematic reform from the top down. Kobe was an autistic Black gay man they murdered in his own house.” For the first time, just this week, a few members of the family viewed an edited version of the body camera footage of the deadly encounter. They want the unedited video released immediately.

Autumn Lake of the Anti-War Committee called out the surplus military equipment transferred to local police departments across the U.S., “equipment that we have seen used by the occupying forces of the Minneapolis and Saint Paul police departments every day since we started protesting for George Floyd.”

She then addressed the 1969 Stonewall Riot against police terror in New York. “The queer community of New York decided that they had enough of being dragged out into the street and beaten by police, they had enough of lives being stolen by the police, and they decided they were gonna fucking fight back. The first punch was thrown by a Black lesbian named Stormé DeLarverie, and the first brick was thrown by a Black transgender woman by the name of Martha P Johnson. We did not cancel Pride this year [the official event was canceled because of coronavirus restrictions], we’re doing it the same way Marsha and Storm did, and we’re doing it by resisting police terror together!” Lake mentioned the recent murder of Black trans man Tony McDade by police in Tallahassee, Florida, and the Monday’s mob attack on a Black trans woman named Iyanna Dior in the Twin Cities.

UMN Students for a Democratic Society speaker Jaelah Lyman lifted up the names of Black women killed by police, and called for community control of the police, including on the University of Minnesota campus, where the Minneapolis Police Department will no longer be involved, but the University of Minnesota Police Department continues to be a problem.

After more than an hour of speakers and chants led by TCC4J organizers Angel Smith El, the protesters set out to march to the state capitol building. Cars honked their support, and folks on the street joined in the chants, including dozens of people at a transit station who through their hands in the air, chanting, “Hands up, don’t shoot!”

It’s clear that the fight against police crimes is just getting going in Minnesota, and community members are fighting to win.

#StPaulMN #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #MinneapolisUprising

Minneapolis, MN – About 30 vehicles drove through North Minneapolis on Sunday, May 3, to mark the day that Jamar Clark should have turned 29 years old. Horns blaring, the caravan made its way to the block where Clark was killed by police in November 2015. Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar brought together family and community members to celebrate Clark’s life, and to continue the fight for justice through Jamar.

Getting out of their cars at the corner of James and Plymouth Avenues, they raised signs and banners and chanted to honor Jamar Clark’s memory.

As family and community members gathered with banners and signs, the Plymouth Avenue street sign was replaced with one for “Jamar Clark Ave.” After an hour of speeches and chanting, the group marched two blocks to the Fourth Precinct police station where protesters had closed the street for 18 days in 2015 to demand “Justice for Jamar.”

Family members spoke about Jamar’s life, and organizers raised several demands, including: Reopen the case and prosecute Minneapolis Police Department officers Dustin Schwarze and Mark Ringgenberg for Clark’s murder; an all-civilian police accountability council – actual, community control of the police; freedom for Myon Burrell, and depopulating prisons and jails in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Organizers also called for an end to the inequalities that have made the pandemic so much more deadly for African Americans and other oppressed people. They took steps to ensure the health and safety of participants, including passing out masks and hand sanitizer donated by the Racial Justice Network, and encouraging social distancing throughout the action.

#MinneapolisMN #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #JamarClark #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J

Shortly after Walz and the event moderator were settled into two cozy armchairs on a stage at the front of a packed auditorium, one person rose from the middle of the crowd to demand that the governor address the epidemic of police murders that have taken place on his watch. “Are you willing to call for the prosecution of police officers that murder of our loved ones?”

In the seven minutes before he ran away, he was asked repeatedly to call for prosecutions. The governor has the authority to take up police murder cases and assign them to the state attorney general, or someone else, after county prosecutors decline to prosecute. Protesters also demanded that Walz take action to stop bogus investigations by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) when police officers murder, and for him to support community control of the police.

Walz had several responses that fell flat. His statement, “I do not have the power to grant pardons,” was answered with, “We don’t need pardons, we need prosecutions!” He praised public conversations like the University event, and was hit with, “We don’t need conversations, we need convictions!” Desperate to end the public questioning, he offered to meet with activists after the event. “No, we don’t believe you!” There have been several attempts to schedule a meeting with the governor around police killings, but for months, his office has failed to respond.

Toshira Garraway Allen, whose son’s father Justin Tiegen was brutally murdered ten years ago by Saint Paul police said, “You have ignored us Governor Walz! They’re killing our loved ones in cold blood and walking free. And Governor Walz is ignoring our families.”

After Walz ran away, protesters chanted “Black lives matter!” as police pushed them out of the auditorium. Outside the hall, and as they were walking away, police grabbed one young Black protester. They handcuffed and held her in a police vehicle outside, admitting they did so to get other protesters out of the building. She was released without charge about ten minutes later. Undaunted, she demanded identifying information from every one of the officers who targeted her.

Walz came back to continue the event once activists were gone, but he was confronted by a second wave of protesters. This group was speaking out against Enbridge Line 3, a tar sands oil pipeline that threatens the environment and violates treaty rights. Those protesters were also removed from the hall. No one left the event thinking Walz’s first year as governor was going well. Least of all, Governor Walz.

#MinneapolisMN #StudentMovement #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J #GovernorWalz #UMNStudentsForADemocraticSociety

Minneapolis, MN – In response to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman’s decision to not press charges against the Richfield and Edina police officers who killed Brian Quiñones, the groups Justice for Brian Quiñones, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar (TCC4J), the Racial Justice Network and others gathered for a spirited picket of Mike Freeman’s residence the evening of February 11.

About 50 people chanted, sang and played clips of Brian’s music for about an hour. The most popular chant was “Indict, convict, send those killer cops to jail. The whole damn system is guilty as hell!” Family and friends of Brian and other victims of police violence spoke about their outrage and their fear for their teenage sons when interacting with police. Several people pointed out that Freeman is a liar and a coward, afraid of doing the right thing, who instead hides behind regulations. They declared that he has blood on his hands, just as much as the many cops who pulled the trigger.

Mike Freeman has again refused to serve the cause of justice, or the people of Hennepin County, by justifying the police murder of Brian Quiñones and refusing to bring charges against the officers responsible. During his entire tenure to date, Freeman has charged only one police officer for shooting a citizen, when a Somali officer shot a white woman in the same upscale neighborhood that Freeman lives in. Many, many other instances where white cops killed residents have passed by with no charges filed.

“We are tired of Mike Freeman serving as defense attorney for these racist killer cops,” said Angel Smith El of the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar. “Like so many before him, Brian harmed no one before police decided to treat a man in crisis as a target. Their claim that he was a threat is bald-faced lie: Brian was walking away from the officers when they ran towards him and opened fire. It’s clear that it was the police who overreacted and lost control of the situation that night.”

This case echoes that of Laquan McDonald, a 17-year-old Chicago youth who was also shot while walking away from police. One police officer was found guilty of second-degree murder after widespread outcry by the community, and several other officers went on trial for helping cover up the crime.

TCC4J is one of many local organizations that has stood with the Quiñones family to demand justice for Brian. Because prosecutors refuse to hold police accountable, TCC4J is working for an all-civilian board to control the police – a Minneapolis Police Accountability Council (MPAC).

#MinneapolisMN #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #MinneapolisPoliceAccountabilityCouncilMPAC #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J #BrianQuinones

Saint Paul, MN – On January 20, Twin Cities Coalition 4 Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J) held an evening event to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., Marcus Golden, and “stolen lives” of community members lost to police crimes and terror.

The event took place in Rondo, a historically Black and working class neighborhood and included a potluck dinner, political program, and entertainment. Over 50 people attended, a majority Black and women.

The program included a short video The Radical History of MLK, which highlighted King’s work in the Black liberation movement, for labor struggles like the 1968 AFSCME sanitation workers strike in Memphis, and for all working people. The program also honored the anniversary of the 2015 #ReclaimMLK Black Lives Matter Minneapolis march held in Saint Paul after the Saint Paul Police Department murdered of Marcus Golden. The 2000-people strong march went through the same historically black neighborhood that this year’s event was held in and it marked a heightening of the local struggle for Black liberation and against police crimes in Minnesota. Monique Cullars-Doty (aunt of Marcus Golden) joined the struggle at that time and still actively organizes with TCC4J as a leader who helps organize other families and survivors of police terror.

An excerpt of Frank Chapman’s “report from the battlefield” from the re-launching of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression in November was also shown. Attendees cheered and applauded during the speech. Chapman’s February 7 and 8 Black History Month tour in Minnesota was highlighted, along with the work for community control of the police in Minneapolis.

Daphne Brown and Toshira Garraway both sang and Loretta VanPelt, organizer and emcee of the night, led everyone in “Say their name” chants, as well as the Assata Shakur “We have a duty” chant to close the event.

#SaintPaulMN #Labor #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #DrMartinLutherKingJr #Antiracism #AFSCME #PoliticalRepression #MarcusGolden #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J

Minneapolis, MN – Community members took over the office of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, June 12. They demanded the mayor take the actions – actions that he has the power to take – to get justice for the family of Jamar Clark.

Earlier that afternoon, after a rally organized by Twin Cities Coalition 4 Justice for Jamar (TCC4J), protesters marched into Frey’s office, demanding to meet with him. They bore a funeral wreath constructed of dollar bills to represent the lack of a meaningful settlement in Jamar’s case.

During an all-day session last month – at nearly the same time that the city announced a $20 million settlement for the family of Justine Damond Ruszczyk – the city of Minneapolis refused to even make Jamar’s family a settlement offer. Damond Ruszczyk, a white woman living in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the city, was murdered by a Minneapolis cop in 2017. Minneapolis cops murdered Jamar Clark was in November 2015.

The three demands for the action were: a just settlement for the family of Jamar Clark; the firing of the officers who killed Jamar and that the mayor refer the two cops for prosecution.

In just a few weeks, over 1000 community members have signed a petition urging city officials to agree to a settlement that could “show that we value the life of a Black man from North Minneapolis as much as that of white woman from Southwest Minneapolis. No amount of money will bring beloved community members back; but if Justine’s life is worth $20 million, so is Jamar’s. Justice demands it.”

Once in the mayor’s office, the 35 protesters started playing videos (with the speakers on blast) that showed witness statements from the scene of Jamar’s murder, to drive home the message to the mayor that he must fire Jamar’s killers, police officers Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze. They posted dozens of signs to the office walls listing their demands. The emcees read out the names of people who signed the petition. The occupiers gave out phone numbers to the mayor and city councilors and did a mass call-in. Speakers from Native Lives Matter, Communities United Against Police Brutality and others affected by police violence and murder spoke.

A statement sent out by TCCC4J during the occupation read, “The mayor has the power over the police department, so we put the burden of guilt upon him. He could take real action to get a measure of justice for Jamar and other victims. But he does nothing. That is just one of the reasonsTCC4J is fighting for a Minneapolis Police Accountability Council – an elected council of civilians who have the power over the cops. Until that day comes, we will keep fighting officials like the mayor who keep cops like Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze in full MPD uniform, not fired and on trial for murder.”

Building security tried several times to get the community members to leave, but they refused. After four hours, they left in defiance, having exposed Mayor Frey as another do-nothing politician complicit in the murder of Black and brown people.

#MinneapolisMN #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #JamarClark #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J #JacobFrey