American Indian Movement leader Clyde Bellecourt takes his Christmas Eve misdemeanor trespassing charge to a Hennepin County District Court jury on Monday, claiming he was unfairly targeted at an event because of his criticism of the Minneapolis Police Department.
Bellecourt's lawyer, Larry Leventhal, said key evidence for the defense will be multiple video recordings of his client sitting down, drinking coffee in the Crystal Court of the IDS Center on Nicollet Mall right before his arrest. Bellecourt was at the IDS to "show support" for a Canadian group's treaty rights protest, he said.
"The demonstration was over. The drums had ended. The dancers were not dancing. Almost everyone had gone home," Leventhal said.
On that much, police and Leventhal seem to agree.
A police report indicates Bellecourt was picked up at 12:05 p.m. on Christmas Eve on allegations of disorderly conduct and trespassing. He was booked into the jail and released within a few hours.
Leventhal said the 77-year-old activist was literally drinking coffee when he was arrested and at no point refused to leave the premises. A complaint against him said he was repeatedly told to leave or face arrest.
"Everybody had a right to be there because it was an orderly demonstration," Leventhal said.
According to the complaint, Bellecourt said he told a police officer that he was "shopping" and not part of the protest. The complaint, however, said he was handing out papers to and shaking hands with the protesters.
