The violence in Uptown has continued almost every night since early June, with limited police intervention. A video from Wednesday evening shows a driver doing donuts in the middle of the street as a passenger shoots a gun into the air. The shots were fired nearby the “peace garden,” the new name for the area protesters gather at the place where Winston Smith was killed.
There's a live streamer down there right now and the "peaceful protesters" are telling him he can't film in most areas around the "peace garden." They told him to turn his camera away. So this chud is just filming an empty street now.
— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) July 8, 2021
Dumpster and street fires have been lit as well, with protests blocking streets and not allowing people to pass through. On Wednesday night, according to Crime Watch Minneapolis, groups were pouring lighter fluid onto pallets and lighting them on fire. They also set up barricades to shut down traffic a few blocks from the location where Smith was killed.
Group of 9 starting fires in #UptownMpls again. Pouring lighter fluid and charcoal on pallets at Girard and Lagoon and blocking the road.
21:16#PeaceGarden #Mpls
Maybe if the city just installs a parklet………..https://t.co/9BgeBs23LH— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) July 8, 2021
Protesters were calling for footage of the shooting of Smith to be released, despite law enforcement saying that there is no video footage of the incident. The police did give a dispersal order, but ended up needing to clear the area after the group failed to follow their instructions.
VIDEO: Lawlessness overtook #UptownMpls yet again overnight with streets blocked & open air gunfire captured on video.
A police line moved in after midnight and gave dispersal orders, but the crowd on foot did not disperse so police cleared from the area.https://t.co/Ao5Du2kr5w— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) July 8, 2021
Protesters also were at the scene of the deadly car crash involving a Minneapolis police officer. As reported by The Minnesota Sun, “While officers from the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) were pursuing a suspect in an armed robbery Tuesday morning, one officer’s squad car struck an unrelated vehicle.” The person who died was the uncle of Darnella Frazier, the girl who filmed the death of George Floyd in May 2020. Frazier wrote on Facebook, “MY uncle… Another Black man lost his life in the hands of the police!”
Traffic is being blocked and transit is being rerouted. pic.twitter.com/RSFLlOZXaU
— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) July 8, 2021
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz did not immediately respond for comment to The Sun when asked what steps he was going to take to resolve the situation of increasing violence in Minneapolis.
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Hayley Tschetter is a reporter with The Minnesota Sun | Star News Network and The College Fix. She graduated with a degree in Communications from the University of Northwestern-St. Paul. Send news tips to [email protected].
