GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — Huge rally at the governor's mansion draws Walz outside to listen
Sprawled across a whole block of Summit Avenue, a crowd of at least 2,000 people camped outside the governor’s mansion on Monday afternoon and demanded the prosecution of all four officers involved in the George Floyd case. The crowd chanted, cheered and applauded for more than two hours, hoping to draw the attention of the chief executive sitting inside the residence just beyond the gate. Led by groups such as the Communities United Against Police Brutality, Black Lives Matter Minnesota and the Council on American Islamic Relations Minnesota, the organizers asked for an independent prosecutor instead of Attorney General Keith Ellison, who agreed to take the lead on the case over the weekend. Midway through the rally, the governor walked out the front door of his mansion and joined a group of Minnesota families whose loved ones have been killed by police. With his mask on, Walz listened intently as speakers made their pleas in front of a lively and passionate crowd. The governor did not address the crowd; his spokesperson said he chose to simply listen. After spending 45 minutes at the front of the crowd Walz turned around and went back inside the governor’s mansion, leading some in the crowd to boo as he exited. Police report that 66 people were arrested at the Capitol Monday night for violating the 10 p.m. curfew.
George Floyd was killed one week ago Monday, and his death has caused an uproar in the Twin Cities and across the country. The officer seen kneeling on George Floyd's neck before he died has been charged with third-degree attempted murder and second-degree manslaughter. In the Twin Cities, and unrest and destruction has been widespread. It's been hard to know where fires or damage seekers will pop up. Monday morning, North Minneapolis was the target. While many slept, witnesses say fire destroyed four businesses housed inside a strip mall on 44th Avenue. The Minneapolis Fire Department said the blaze is suspicious. The building was home to a Mailbox Solutions Plus store, Boost Mobile and Tom's Barbershop. Residents also say they heard gunshots all night long and, when they tried to call 911 for help, they couldn't reach an operator.
Officials said Monday that a 35-year-old Minnesota semi-truck driver did not go around barricades on I-35, and there’s no evidence that he was deliberately targeting protesters when his tanker truck sped onto a crowded bridge Sunday. Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington told reporters that traffic cams showed the truck driver already on the freeway, having entered the interstate before workers had blocked off access to protect protesters. Bogdan Vechirko of Ostego, Minnesota was taken into custody after a horrifying scene when videos showed his semi – horn blaring – speeding toward hundreds of peaceful demonstrators packing the I-35 bridge across the Mississippi river. Protesters scattered, fearing for their lives. On social media people accused Vechirko of deliberately trying to kill protesters. After reviewing traffic camera footage – and questioning Vechirko – authorities now say they think the driver came up on the protest by accident.
