Demonstrators gathered at the site since the November 16…
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Around 8 p.m., the two groups of protesters converged to march toward the northeast Minneapolis headquarters of the police union.
The rally started about 12 hours after police evicted protesters from outside the 4th Precinct on Minneapolis north side, which protesters had occupied for 18 days following the fatal police shooting of Jamar Clark.
Police ordered around 50 chanting demonstrators to disperse at about 4 a.m. and soon began removing tents and equipment while firefighters extinguished campfires.
City dump trucks carried away tents and supplies from outside the 4th Precinct early Thursday.
The City Council’s Public Safety & Regulatory Services Committee held an impromptu hearing Wednesday afternoon to take testimony from residents who have been frustrated by the presence of the encampment – a move that angered many protesters who weren’t given notice about the opportunity to speak before the Council.
The group had been camping out at the precinct in light of the recent shooting and killing of Jamar Clark, a 24-year-old black man, during an altercation with police. He died the following day. Authorities say Clark struggled, but some who say they saw the shooting claim he was handcuffed. They are demanding that videos that show the footage of the shooting be released and that a special prosecutor be appointed to determine the fate of the policemen in question (instead of leaving the decision to a grand jury).
Seven people were arrested during the eviction for obstructing the legal process and another was arrested for trespassing, Police Chief Janee Harteau said. Patricia Anderson said her daughter’s vehicle windows were smashed by camp members and she was having trouble sleeping.
“It was time. We have been balancing the safety needs of the precinct with the right for people to protest and have their voices be heard”, Mayor Betsy Hodges said at a news conference, according to ABC.
Harteau said police began preparations once it became clear demonstrators would not withdraw.
Valuables left behind will be collected for safe keeping and will be returned through the Minneapolis Police Department’s Property & Evidence Unit; workers with the unit can be reached by calling 612-673-2932.
Black Lives Matter Minneapolis reported all protesters have since been released.
Two of the protesters’ three original demands were met – to release names of the officers involved in the Clark shooting and to get a federal investigation – but state and federal officials refuse to release videos from the shooting. They plan to push for a comprehensive criminal justice task force to look at racial disparities in law enforcement.
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She says they also want the station turned back into the community center it once was. They want better police training to eliminate the use of deadly force against unarmed citizens.
