Protesters keep warm near a fire pit in the street outside the Minneapolis Police Department's Fourth Precinct in Minneapolis.
(AP Photo/Jim Mone)
Minneapolis police and fire officials on Thursday tore down an encampment where people had gathered for more than two weeks to protest the police shooting of a 24-year-old unarmed black man.
Officers gave the group of about 50 demonstrators about 15 minutes to clear the area at around 4 a.m., said police spokesman Scott Seroka.
Some of the demonstrators yelled obscenities at the officers, according to the Star Tribune. But the event was mostly peaceful as activists chanted, "Indict, convict, send those killer dogs to jail; the whole damn system is guilty as hell" and "Whose streets? Our streets."
Officers arrested eight people in all, seven on suspicion of obstructing the legal process and one for allegedly trespassing, police Chief Janeé Harteau said at a news conference Thursday morning.
There were no reported injuries and all eight protesters who were arrested have since been released, according to Black Lives Matter Minneapolis.
City crews with the Minneapolis Fire Department put out campfires as the tents were broken down and hauled away in dump trucks, according to the Associated Press.
"We have been balancing the safety needs of the community with the right for people to protest and have their voices meaningfully heard," said Mayor Betsy Hodges in a statement to BuzzFeed News. "With the increasing safety risks, the impact on the neighborhood, and the impact on our ability to provide services for the city, this morning was the right time to clear the street and precinct."
Harteau said police “have been doing extensive monitoring of the protests."
The department strategically decided to remove the protesters Thursday morning considering the “time of day, what would be the best time for everyone involved, when we have the best resources,” she said.
By daybreak, police set up a high metal fence surrounding the 4th Precinct.
Black Lives Matter Minneapolis announced in a Facebook post that they will be gathering in front of City Hall at 4 p.m. Thursday in response to the actions taken by the mayor and city council.
Harteau said that the occupation had cost the city more than $750,000 in police overtime pay.
LINK: Whether To Stay Or Go Is Complicated By Shooting At Minneapolis Protests
LINK: Four Men Face Charges Over Shooting Near Black Lives Matter Protest In Minneapolis
from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/1QWEKr1
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