16-mar1-assembly

Public buildings fortified before Chauvin trial

The Hennepin County District Court and surrounding City Hall and Public Safety Buildings in downtown Minneapolis are currently being fortified, as barricades of concrete, razor wire, and chain linked fencing go up in preparation of the upcoming Derek Chauvin trial for the killing of George Floyd. More security upgrades are expected within the coming days, including a presence of National Guard soldiers. Jury selection for the trial begins Monday, March 8.

As was made apparent on January 6, right-wing protesters were initially met without riot police and therefore quickly overpowered police officers, pushing through into the Capitol. In contrast, BLM protesters, in response to the police killing of George Floyd, have been met with officers in riot gear with chemical grenades and tear gas. These stark differences in police response are obvious, and perimeter fortification and increased security detail in downtown Minneapolis further exemplifies the racial bias within this country. Ultimately, these barricades hinder the freedom to assemble and serve to protect buildings, not people.

Full Article Here

More on the freedom to assemble: BLM protests vs Capitol riot

Check out this article from The Washington Post that makes a full comparison of police response at the BLM protests of June 1, 2020 and the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

Full Article Here

SOAR Newsletter Holiday Series

Want to contribute to SOAR newsletters? The Education/Evaluation team is looking for content ideas based on holidays celebrated by members of the CEMS community. The Holiday Series is geared towards enhancing the understanding and knowledge about the cultures and beliefs related to the holidays. Fill out this form if you celebrate a holiday that you would like to have included as part of this series.

UPCOMING EVENTS

STEP Seminar: Marth Larson, Carleton College Campus Energy and Sustainability March 1 12-1 PM Zoom link here.

Conducting Research in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Ethics in an Emergency March 3 9-1:30 PM Register here.

Radical Self-Care as a Resistance Practice March 5 1:30-3 PM Register here.

STEP Seminar: Whitney Clark, Executive Director, Friends of the Mississippi River March 8 12-1 PM Zoom link here.

Tim Pawlenty on the Future of the Republican Party March 9 12-1 PM Register here.

STEP Seminar: Jess Anna Glover, Land Stewardship Project & Action Fund March 15 12-1 PM Zoom link here.

STEP Seminar: Denise Abdul-Rahman, NAACP March 22 12-1 PM Zoom link here.

Democracy Under Threat in Times of Populism and Racial Nationalism March 25-26 8:30-5 PM Register here.

“What Do We Do Now?: Navigating Democracy and Saving Ourselves.” Keynote by Khadijah Costley White March 25 11:45-1 PM Register here.

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LEARN | What is community control of the police?

Many activist groups, in multiple cities, are working toward a democratic community controlled police, where every police department, policy, chief, superintendent, and officer should be subject to the will of the people. They believe new legislation, allowing democratic control of police through a directly-elected civilian council, is necessary to ensure that the pleas for justice, accountability, and transparency are can be backed by the power needed to make them possible.

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ACT | Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar

Community activist groups, like TCC4J, are announcing protest plans for Chauvin murder trial. TCC4J was formed after the murder of Jamar Clark by the Minneapolis Police Department in 2015. They stand with families fighting for justice and police accountability.

Learn More

GIVE | Take Action MN

TakeAction Minnesota is a multi-racial people’s organization building power for a government and economy that works every individual. TakeAction Minnesota exists because the challenges Americans face are bigger than one campaign or election cycle. They organize to change who decides and who benefits in our democracy and our economy, fighting for care for all, climate justice, and COVID-19 relief.

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Sources

AP. (Feb 28, 2021). "Minneapolis courthouse turned into fortress for George Floyd murder trial." [Online Image]. Retrieved from https://nypost.com/2021/02/28/minneapolis-courthouse-turned-into-fortress-for-george-floyd-murder-trial/

Severson, G.. (Feb 24, 2021). "Minneapolis fortifying buildings with fencing, concrete barricades, and razor wire before Chauvin trial." [Online Article]. Retrieved from https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/george-floyd/minneapolis-fortifying-buildings-with-fencing-concrete-barricades-and-razor-wire-before-chauvin-trial/89-1641bce4-ebd0-46c6-8c65-a06a1e62a438

Chason, R. & Schmidt, S. (Jan 14, 2021). "Lafayette Square, Capitol rallies met starkly different policing response." [Online Article]. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/interactive/2021/blm-protest-capitol-riot-police-comparison/

"2021 Storming of U.S. Capitol." [Online Image]. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_storming_of_the_United_States_Capitol

CPAC [Online Image]. Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/view/tcc4j/cpac

TCC4J [Online Image]. https://twitter.com/tcc4justice

TakeAction Minnesota [Online Image]. Retrieved from https://takeactionminnesota.org/

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