After Mocking ‘Liberate Minnesota’ Protest, State Media, Politicians Silent on Minneapolis Gun Violence Demonstration

Anthony Gockowski

 

Minnesota’s political establishment and mainstream media mocked and condemned the pro-Trump protesters who gathered outside the Governor’s Residence Friday, but were silent just two days later when hundreds gathered for a demonstration in Minneapolis.

According to the St. Paul Police Department, an estimated 800 people were in attendance at Friday’s “Liberate Minnesota” protest, which called for an end to Gov. Tim Walz’s stay-at-home order issued in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Gov. Walz condemned the Friday protest and said it was “putting you and your family at risk,” The Minnesota Sun reported.

Attorney General Keith Ellison called the protest “irresponsible” and “dangerous.” He then went on MSNBC’s “Morning Joy” Saturday and warned that the protesters would “pay an awful price.”

“It’s disturbing. It’s sad. I pray for those people, because even though I disagree absolutely with these protests as completely and entirely inappropriate, I know they and their loved ones will pay an awful price,” he said.

Minnesota DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin also called the Friday protest “sad” and criticized the demonstrators for willfully ignoring “the shelter-in-place order today.”

“I pray that none of them get sick because guess who is not going to help when they do – Donald Trump,” he wrote on Twitter.

House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (DFL-Golden Valley) said the “reckless and dangerous actions by a few don’t represent the large majority of Minnesotans who are following guidelines and care about each other’s health.”

“I hope their foolishness doesn’t cost lives,” he added.

Jennifer Brooks, a columnist for The Star Tribune, mocked the demonstrators and said they would be “the people arguing to leave the barricaded shopping mall” if this “were a zombie movie.”

Former Minnesota-based Associated Press reporter Kyle Potter cut to the chase and called the protesters “f–king morons.”

Others called them “idiots,” “astoundingly dumb,” “Minnesota know-nothings,” dummies “with a red hat,” and predicted they would “cause an outbreak.” When President Donald Trump tweeted his support for the protesters, City Pages, which is owned by The Star Tribune, told him to “shut the f–k up.”

Just two days later, however, the same pundits were silent when the coronavirus social-distancing guidelines were broken during a gun-violence demonstration in Minneapolis. Hundreds of people were reportedly in attendance. Video of the event shows that many attendees were wearing masks, but were clearly gathered in groups of more than 10 and within six-feet of one another.

The Sunday demonstration was held for 27-year-old Kevin Beasley, who was shot to death at a house party early Saturday in Near North Minneapolis.

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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Image “Two Protests” by Libor Jany (right) and Theo Keight (left).

 

 

 

 

 

 

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