Demonstrations continue a seventh night in Brooklyn Center

Updated: April 18, 06:05

Hundreds of people gathered outside the Brooklyn Center police station on Saturday for a seventh night of protests over Daunte Wright’s fatal police shooting.

As the crowd gathered along Humboldt Avenue in front of two barricades of the police station, with letters affixing ‘Stop State Terror’ on the chain fence, the outcry continued from a police action against protesters and journalists the previous night.

But Saturday’s protests remained muted compared to Friday night. Protesters sang and insulted the police, but sometimes also danced to music.

Law enforcers refrained from firing the lightning bolts and sponge grenades they had used the previous nights. And when an evening bell rang at 23:00, the authorities did not advance the crowd; instead, it disappeared by itself.

Protesters also gathered earlier Saturday in Stillwater, Minn., Outside the home of Washington County Attorney Pete Orput, who is handling the case of Kim Potter, the former Brooklyn Center police officer who stopped Wright during a stop last Sunday. . They have asked Orput to file more serious charges against Potter.

After the arrests of Friday

Friday’s protest began as a peaceful protest and march, but a few hours later it quickly plunged into chaos as a large contingent of law enforcers hurried, chased and surrounded protesters.

More than 130 protesters were arrested, and journalists were also captured and detained, along with some pepper spray and others must be photographed and their IDs taken.

It was a drastic change in tactics from Thursday night, when the authorities chose against enforcing a curfew and allowed protesters to disperse on their own, without being arrested.

Authorities said the repression on Friday was in response to attempts by some protesters to break a fence around the police station.

“Breaking down a fence and coming to a protest is not, in my opinion, a peaceful protest. “It is not appropriate for groups that are there to acknowledge the tragedy of the loss of Daunte Wright,” said John Harrington, public safety commissioner, at a news conference in Minnesota just after midnight.

Criticism of the tactics used by law enforcers increased during the day on Saturday, with photos and videos circulating on social media. The detention and pepper spray of journalists was particularly investigated because it apparently violated a court order that was filed a few hours before the protest.

As part of an ongoing lawsuit related to the treatment of media during protests in Minneapolis last summer, U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina Wright on Friday issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting police from arresting journalists during the Brooklyn Center protests taking and forcing them to break up or use force against them.

In a letter sent to civil servants on Saturday on behalf of more than 25 media organizations, including MPR News, lawyer Leita Walker wrote that law enforcers have had widespread intimidation, violence and other misconduct towards journalists over the past few days. interfered in their ability to report on matters of serious public interest and concern. ‘

The letter follows a meeting between government Tim Walz and other government officials, and leaders of various media, in which government officials apologized for how reporters were treated and promised to comply with the terms of the restriction.

The state patrol has issued a statement saying that troops will no longer take photos of journalists or their IDs, although they can still check credentials.

The Patrol has vowed not to use force against journalists or force them to break up, saying it provides the same guidance to other agencies that are part of the “Operation Safety Net”, the multi-agency effort put together to respond to the Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis. and is also now responding to the protests in Brooklyn Center.

As of 10:15 p.m. Saturday, the KARE 11 video of the Brooklyn Center protests showed protesters rumbling as they faced the police station, with no sign of confrontations between protesters and law enforcement.

Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson met with protesters outside the police station on Saturday night.

And later that evening, California Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters joined protesters. Waters told the crowd in the video of the protest that Unicorn Riot broadcast: “I want you to know that there are many in Congress who feel like you … I stand with you.”

“I could not sleep, I could not rest or be satisfied until I came here,” she said, asking for justice for Daunte Wright.

The 82-year-old congresswoman rejected the 23:00 evening curfew imposed by authorities as a way of tackling protests and urged the remaining crowd of about 150 people to ‘stay on the streets’.

“This is a very difficult time in the history of this country,” Waters said. “We need to let people know that we will not be satisfied unless we do justice to these matters.”

Singing continued when the evening bell went into effect at 11pm on Saturday, without any sign that the authorities were enforcing the order. The evening clock would last Sunday at 6 p.m.

While introducing the new evening clock earlier Saturday, Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott also called on law enforcement to exercise more self-control in response to protests.

In a statement, the city said the mayor ” requested that law enforcement officers (including those from the Brooklyn Center and those from surrounding communities) not use tear gas, rubber bullets, paint marks or the method called ‘boiler’. individuals who rallied to protest peacefully.

“Other security measures will include notifying protesters within one hour, 30 minutes and 15 minutes before the evening clock strikes 11pm.”

The City of Brooklyn Center said the curfew does not apply to people traveling to and from work or religious services; to law enforcement; those seeking medical care, emergency services or fleeing danger; persons experiencing homelessness; recognized members of community groups authorized by the city to provide assistance; or to the news media. ”

Stillwater protest

On Saturday, protesters tried another attempt by gathering in front of the home of Orput, the Washington County District Attorney, to plead guilty to more serious charges against Potter. A crowd of about 100 people marched through the streets of his neighborhood.

Orput came out of his house at one point to speak to some of the organizers of the protest – lawyer and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, and Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Levy Armstrong said Orput explained why his office accused Potter of second-degree manslaughter, instead of worse murder charges.

She attributed to him that he had entered into conversation with the protesters, something she said never happened to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman after Floyd’s death. The attorney general in Minnesota eventually took over the prosecution and Freeman sold his home after regular protests.

But Levy Armstrong indicated that they would not give up the pressure on Orput, saying, “We are committed to continuing to hold talks with him until we see charges of murder.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.