Minneapolis protest focuses on use of federal officers in Portland

Activists gathered in downtown Minneapolis, with many predicting a presence here as well.

July 24, 2020 at 2:19AM

Several hundred people gathered in front of the federal courthouse in Minneapolis on Thursday evening to protest the use of federal officers in Portland, Ore., where sometimes violent rallies against police brutality have been going on for weeks.

Activists from more than a dozen groups, including Black Lives Matter Minnesota, the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the National Lawyers Guild, expressed concern that Minneapolis could experience the same federal presence soon — something they would vehemently oppose.

Sam Martinez, an organizer from the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar, said he helped coordinate the rally just over 24 hours ago and was pleased with the turnout.

"This is not something we do regularly, but it's good to know people are ready … to defend the community," Martinez said. "It just shows that Minneapolis, it was the epicenter, and we're not going anywhere."

Among the sculpted mounds of green grass in front of the courthouse, leaders of various groups decried police brutality and racial injustice.

Several people who said their loved ones were killed by police officers spoke emotionally.

Attendees held cardboard signs and fabric flags reading "Silence is violence," "Feds in Portland, proving our point" and "Demilitarize the United States."

Latahvoni Smith, who described herself as a spoken-word artist and new mother, shared two poems with the crowd.

In one, she decried police violence against people of color.

"I'm a little girl, but I have a big voice," she said, referencing her height.

Misty Rowan of the Anti-War Committee asked the crowd if it was prepared to protest if federal officers arrived. She also said she wanted to give the crowd hope.

"It is our job to take this opportunity, take this momentum, and run with it," she said.

Following the speeches, the group marched around downtown.

"Black lives, they matter here," marchers chanted, walking or riding their bikes through the otherwise quiet streets.

Erin Adler • 612-673-1781

Kaia Hirt, of Minnetonka, held anti-Trump and federal law enforcement sign outside the federal courthouse in downtown Minneapolis Thursday. "We've under attack by the federal government," Hirt said. "This has to stop." ] aaron.lavinsky@startribune.com A rally, "Portland to Mpls: Protest Trump's Goons Attacking Our Movement," was held outside the federal courthouse on Thursday, July 23, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minn.
Kaia Hirt, of Minnetonka, held anti-Trump and federal law enforcement sign outside the federal courthouse in downtown Minneapolis on Thursday. "We've under attack by the federal government," Hirt said. "This has to stop." (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Demonstrators congregated outside the federal courthouse in downtown Minneapolis for Thursday's rally calling for the removal of federal law enforcement agencies from Portland and other US cities. ] aaron.lavinsky@startribune.com A rally, "Portland to Mpls: Protest Trump's Goons Attacking Our Movement," was held outside the federal courthouse on Thursday, July 23, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minn.
Demonstrators gathered outside the federal courthouse in downtown Minneapolis for Thursday's rally calling for the removal of federal law enforcement agencies from Portland and other U.S. cities. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

Erin Adler

Reporter

Erin Adler is a suburban reporter covering Dakota and Scott counties for the Minnesota Star Tribune, working breaking news shifts on Sundays. She previously spent three years covering K-12 education in the south metro and five months covering Carver County.

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