Post by abbey1227 on Jul 1, 2021 1:35:53 GMT
........ that 'No' doesn't always mean No
Minneapolis protesters hold city council vice president 'hostage' to sign list of demands, she says
Jake Dima Wed, June 30, 2021, 3:30 PM
A group of Minneapolis protesters blocked a car occupied by a councilwoman Sunday and insisted she sign a list of demands, including a motion to drop all charges against rioters in the aftermath of George Floyd's death.
City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins, who identifies as the first black transgender woman in the role, was seen in a 23-minute video surrounded by protesters, one of whom shouted demands through a bullhorn while holding a note and demanding her signature on a host of items.
After 20 minutes of discussion, the video shows Jenkins signing the document that stipulated all suspected rioters would be exonerated, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey would resign, law enforcement and city employees would stay away from the "autonomous zone" known as George Floyd Square, and information would be released on the shooting death of Winston Smith, who was killed by U.S. marshals during a failed arrest June 3.
MINNEAPOLIS RIOTERS LOOT AND LIGHT FIRES AFTER US MARSHALS SHOOTING
Jenkins and the driver of the vehicle, who has not been identified, were held "hostage" by the mob while attending a Pride event in the city, she said Tuesday.
"On Sunday afternoon, while attending a Pride event in Loring Park, something I’ve done on the last weekend in June for the past 20 plus years, I was verbally attacked, berated and held 'hostage' against my will by a large group of angry protesters," Jenkins said in a statement.
"I have always believed in open dialogue where people can talk and be respectful of their differences," Jenkins added. "I continue to be willing to sit down with activists, advocates and protesters to understand their policy change demands and recommendations. I refused however to be bullied and held hostage to somehow accomplish that."
Protesters read their list of demands as Jenkins sat in the car, eventually agreeing either verbally or with a gesture to each item on the agenda, including the resignation of Frey, before signing the note and driving off.
On Tuesday, Frey condemned the incident and called it "fundamentally wrong."
"Holding elected officials accountable is good," he wrote in a tweet. "Holding people for hours against their will until they’re compelled under duress to take positions is not. This isn’t a matter of politics or policy. We should all call this behavior out for what it is: fundamentally wrong."
Jenkins did not call 911 regarding the incident, and the Minneapolis Police Department had no comment on the matter, a spokesperson told the Washington Examiner.
Minneapolis has been a hotbed for unrest since Floyd's death on May 25, 2020. George Floyd Square, a self-described "cop-free" zone within the city that encompasses the Cup Foods store where former officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes, has persisted for months despite opposition from business owners in the area who have criticized the city for failing to address crime and gang activity.
On June 3, city workers tore down barricades and opened the zone to traffic, though many components of the site remain. A day later, U.S. marshals shot Smith, a black man wanted for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Authorities said he opened fire on them inside a parking garage, though violent demonstrators rioted later in the evening.
Rioters ransacked a CVS and T-Mobile store after they set a dumpster ablaze.
Jake Dima Wed, June 30, 2021, 3:30 PM
A group of Minneapolis protesters blocked a car occupied by a councilwoman Sunday and insisted she sign a list of demands, including a motion to drop all charges against rioters in the aftermath of George Floyd's death.
City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins, who identifies as the first black transgender woman in the role, was seen in a 23-minute video surrounded by protesters, one of whom shouted demands through a bullhorn while holding a note and demanding her signature on a host of items.
After 20 minutes of discussion, the video shows Jenkins signing the document that stipulated all suspected rioters would be exonerated, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey would resign, law enforcement and city employees would stay away from the "autonomous zone" known as George Floyd Square, and information would be released on the shooting death of Winston Smith, who was killed by U.S. marshals during a failed arrest June 3.
MINNEAPOLIS RIOTERS LOOT AND LIGHT FIRES AFTER US MARSHALS SHOOTING
Jenkins and the driver of the vehicle, who has not been identified, were held "hostage" by the mob while attending a Pride event in the city, she said Tuesday.
"On Sunday afternoon, while attending a Pride event in Loring Park, something I’ve done on the last weekend in June for the past 20 plus years, I was verbally attacked, berated and held 'hostage' against my will by a large group of angry protesters," Jenkins said in a statement.
"I have always believed in open dialogue where people can talk and be respectful of their differences," Jenkins added. "I continue to be willing to sit down with activists, advocates and protesters to understand their policy change demands and recommendations. I refused however to be bullied and held hostage to somehow accomplish that."
Protesters read their list of demands as Jenkins sat in the car, eventually agreeing either verbally or with a gesture to each item on the agenda, including the resignation of Frey, before signing the note and driving off.
On Tuesday, Frey condemned the incident and called it "fundamentally wrong."
"Holding elected officials accountable is good," he wrote in a tweet. "Holding people for hours against their will until they’re compelled under duress to take positions is not. This isn’t a matter of politics or policy. We should all call this behavior out for what it is: fundamentally wrong."
Jenkins did not call 911 regarding the incident, and the Minneapolis Police Department had no comment on the matter, a spokesperson told the Washington Examiner.
Minneapolis has been a hotbed for unrest since Floyd's death on May 25, 2020. George Floyd Square, a self-described "cop-free" zone within the city that encompasses the Cup Foods store where former officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes, has persisted for months despite opposition from business owners in the area who have criticized the city for failing to address crime and gang activity.
On June 3, city workers tore down barricades and opened the zone to traffic, though many components of the site remain. A day later, U.S. marshals shot Smith, a black man wanted for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Authorities said he opened fire on them inside a parking garage, though violent demonstrators rioted later in the evening.
Rioters ransacked a CVS and T-Mobile store after they set a dumpster ablaze.
![[giveup]](http://storage.proboards.com/7182076/images/FSYefibmKqtatIXMgHZg.gif)
![[cheers]](http://storage.proboards.com/7182076/images/engyBVslEdpmpmdnBwZQ.gif)
