OCCUPY WALL STREET & LIBERTY SQUARE
THE OCCUPATION OF MINNESOTA
Minnesota spawned Occupy movements in more than one city during the days following the initial occupation of Minneapolis.
Prominent Occupy groups formed to hold marches and occupations in Saint Paul, Rochester, Duluth, Brainerd, Grand Rapids, Mankato, Fergus Falls, Bemidji, Alexandria, Marshall, Fargo–Moorhead and Northfield.
OCCUPY MINNEAPOLIS & THE PEOPLE’S PLAZA
The initial occupation of Hennepin County Government Center‘s plaza in downtown Minneapolis began on October 7, 2011 under the name OccupyMN. The plaza, located off the light rail station and adjacent to City Hall, was renamed The People’s Plaza by rally organizers. Hundreds of protesters showed up at the plaza, including union members from United Steelworkers, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, UNITE HERE, AFSCME, the Sheet Metal Workers, along with many other supporting groups and individual participants.
On October 13, Occupy protester Melissa Lynn Hill was given a trespassing notice for writing messages in chalk in The People’s Plaza. She was barred from entering the Government Center or the plaza for a year. Two days later, while acting as a legal observer for the National Lawyers Guild and standing on a sidewalk near the Plaza, Hill was arrested. Her attorney successfully sued Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek for violating her constitutional rights.
Sheriff Stanek ordered that tents could not be pitched in the Plaza and forbade people from staying overnight. Occupy protesters defied the orders, staying overnight in the plaza. On October 15, in conjunction with world-wide protests that day, a group of occupiers set up a number of tents in the grassy area on the south side of Hennepin County Government Center. The tents were torn down by the police later that night. Subsequent attempts to set up tents were met with force.
Marches on October 17 included attendees from Minnesota for a Fair Economy, Students for a Democratic Society, and Socialist Alternative. Protesters occupied the 10th Avenue Bridge, blocking traffic for about a half hour. Eleven people were arrested on the bridge.
After the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office indicated they would no longer allow signs in The People’s Plaza, the General Assembly voted to allow the American Civil Liberties Union to represent them in a potential lawsuit against the County. On November 4, Hennepin County employees removed signs from the plaza over the objections of the occupiers, who later replaced the signs, risking arrest. The next week, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners drafted new rules forbidding people from sleeping in the plaza.
REOCCUPIED MINNEAPOLIS AND PEAVEY PLAZA
Spring 2012 saw a resurgence of activity for Occupy Minneapolis. Dual occupations of both Loring Park and Peavey Plaza, nicknamed “Reoccupy Minnesota,” took root on April 7, with occupiers voicing their intent to stay throughout the summer. Mixed messages were given to protesters when police spokesman Steve McCarty indicated that the Minneapolis Police Department would allow tents to remain overnight in Peavey Plaza and Police Chief Tim Dolan later contradicted him, visiting the Plaza himself to pass out copies of city ordinances to occupiers. That night, protesters took to the streets, marching their tents through downtown Minneapolis. Twelve of the marchers were arrested and, during the fracas, a police officer shoved KSTP cameraman Chad Nelson, knocking his camera to the ground and injuring him.
MINNESOTA LAW ENFORCEMENT TARGETS ACTIVISTS & AT-RISK INDIVIDUALS DURING “ROUTINE DRE TRAINING”
On May 2, activists with Occupy Minneapolis released a documentary video called MK Occupy Minnesota. The video documents testimony from participants that police officers in Minneapolis gave them cannabis as part of a Drug Recognition Expert program.
Video documentation by local activists and independent media shows that police officers and county deputies from across Minnesota have been picking up young people near Peavey Plaza for a training program to recognize drug-impaired drivers. Multiple participants say officers gave them illicit drugs and provided other incentives to take the drugs. The Occupy movement, present at Peavey Plaza since April 7th, appears to be targeted as impaired people are dropped off at the Plaza, and others say they’ve been rewarded for offering to snitch on the movement.
Local independent media activists and members of Communities United Against Police Brutality began investigating police conduct around the Plaza after witnessing police dropping off impaired people at the plaza and hearing rumors that they were offering people drugs. We videotaped police conduct and interviewed participants, learning some very disturbing information about the DRE program.
Officers stated on record the DRE program, run by the Minnesota State Patrol, has no Institutional Review Board or independent oversight. They agreed no ambulances or EMTs were on site at the Richfield MnDOT facility near the airport where most subjects were taken. Multiple times, participants left Peavey Plaza sober, returned intoxicated, and said they’d been given free drugs by law enforcement. We documented on more than one occasion, someone being told they were sober by one officer, and then picked up by a different officer, and returning intoxicated.
Given the dangers of impaired driving, there is value in training law enforcement officers to distinguish between the effects of various drugs and several common medical conditions. However, we have captured video footage of instances in which DRE trainees recruited subjects who are not already impaired, and those participants say they were given drugs by the officers.
Although program documents indicate that participants must sign a waiver, [https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/msp/form…] there was no indication from any of the participants interviewed that a waiver was offered or obtained. Further, video footage seems to validate the recollections of participants that no medical personnel or ambulance were on site during the observation and testing in Richfield. A DRE officer told one of our investigators that no Institutional Review Board assessment of the program has been made, a requirement of all experiments involving human subjects. Since it’s unethical to encourage people to take drugs–whether by giving them drugs directly or enticing them with food, cigarettes, or other rewards (which participants say they were given)–it is unlikely such a program would pass IRB review as it endangers the test subjects.
According to the WCCO article from May 2011, officer trainees in the past have worked with various non-profit organizations to recruit drug users. It would appear now that they are no longer relying solely on this tactic, instead recruiting users directly and, participants say, providing them with drugs. After the sessions, these individuals are then dropped off in public areas without supportive care, creating a public safety hazard. In an example at Peavey Plaza caught on film, an individual who said he’s been smoking courtesy of the police for an hour, crossed a line of Minneapolis police barricades, climbed to the top of a large sign and sat 15 feet above the sidewalk swinging his arms and legs in front of a police camera.
Our investigation points to particular efforts to target and recruit youth. Further, law enforcement officers have been taped recruiting people from the Peavey Plaza area of Nicollet Mall and have dropped off a number of impaired individuals at Peavey Plaza. In some instances, Minneapolis police squad cars were present while DRE trainees recruited people at Peavey Plaza. After receiving drugs, some subjects faced targeted questioning in regards to the Occupy movement many were asked about various people and the local activities of Occupy, they said. Given efforts by the Minneapolis city council to pass an ordinance designed to restrict access to Peavey Plaza by the Occupy movement, the conduct of DRE trainees points to the possibility that they were working hand-in-glove with Minneapolis police to discredit and disrupt the Occupy movement.
“I think most people would be very surprised to have our tax dollars used to get people high,” states Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality. “These activities call into question the methods and motives of this DRE training.”
On April 10, members of Occupy Minneapolis went to City Hall and asked that Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak condemn racial profiling and police brutality. Days later, Barb Johnson, President of the Minneapolis City Council, introduced a resolution to close the city’s public plazas at night. Council members Cam Gordon and Gary Schiff criticized the move, and the plan was sent to the Committee for Public Safety, Civil Rights and Health for a public hearing. The resolution eventually passed – and with the construction of the Minnesota Orchestra adjacent to Peavey Plaza, the city of Minneapolis eventually fenced-off the plaza entirely to both occupiers and the public.
When individuals face foreclosure and eviction they may choose to engage in direct action that directly takes a stand against the banks and unjust foreclosure/eviction system. OccupyMN supports and stands in solidarity with individual initiatives to reclaim shelter when faced with homelessness.
Occupy Minneapolis helped blossom one of the most successful movements against the foreclosure process in the state of Minnesota. Our collective has extended solidarity to the efforts of the anti-foreclosure movement and encourages individuals at-risk of loosing their homes to build a support network and campaign for the saving of their homes.
We advise that individuals that begin campaigning seek legal assistance from organizations such as the ACLU, NLG, or other legal representatives prior to engaging in direct action.
Occupy Homes Resources:
ANTI-EVICTION & FORECLOSURE DEFENSE ACTIONS
Occupy Minneapolis was among the first cities in the United States to organize the occupation of foreclosed homes as part of the Occupy Homes initiative. Occupy members worked with Neighborhoods Organizing for Change to prevent the eviction of several Minneapolis residents.
North Minneapolis resident Monique White was the first homeowner to work with Occupy activists, who set up tents in her front yard. She faced eviction after her home was foreclosed by US Bank and turned downed an offer of “cash for keys.”
Occupy Minneapolis occupied the home of University of Minnesota anthropology professor Sara Kaiser, located in the Corcoran neighborhood and foreclosed by US Bank. On November 19, 2011, Minneapolis police tried to evict the Occupy Minneapolis organizers housed there. Protester Michael Bounds (Panda) was arrested inside the house. After situating himself in front of a police cruiser, Devin Wynn-Shemanek was nearly run over, then arrested and charged with obstruction of justice. Officers then attempted to board up the house’s windows, but were thwarted by protesters who linked arms and surrounded the house. Once the police left the property, 50 protesters reoccupied the house, livestreaming their actions.
Organizers from Occupy Minneapolis joined with Neighborhoods Organizing for Change to help ex-Marine and Vietnam veteran Bobby Hull save his home from foreclosure by Bank of America (BoA). While Hull owed $275,000 on his mortgage, his home only brought in $80,000 at auction. A BoA spokesperson said that Hull did not meet the guidelines for home retention. Occupy worked with Hull’s neighbors and put pressure on the bank to prevent an eviction that was scheduled for February 17, 2012. In January, activists dressed as pirates delivered a petition to US Bank requesting the renegotiation of mortgages for foreclosed homeowners and demanded a meeting with US Bank CEO Richard Davis. The organizers eventually succeeded in securing a loan modification for Hull that allowed him to remain in his home.
Why did Occupy Minneapolis cut ties with “Occupy Homes MN” and what did that mean for the movement?
On March 20th, 2013 the content creators for Occupy Minneapolis released a statement in regards to the non-profit organization known as “Occupy Homes MN”. We still continue to actively support their efforts and the efforts of the movement in regards to the anti-foreclosure movement today:
“As the content creators on the OccupyMN Facebook page & Twitter, we can no longer share a content process & resources with Occupy Homes MN effective immediately. While it is laudable to work on housing issues, we cannot reconcile a working process with this commercialized group any further.
We are in a unique position where we must Block our further participation in a feedback loop of public promotion & private stipends, message shaping and fundraising. Since, unlike any other known “occupy” group, Occupy Homes MN demands cash payment for what was once an egalitarian participation process, there is no way we can resolve our differences under those terms.
Many of us helped create, volunteered with and were arrested with Occupy Homes, until unethical tactics serving the goal of evolution into a profitable Non-Governmental Organization achieved dominance. We are sorry that our pages have not been able to be used to defend our friends and discuss the truth about these harmful hierarchical tactics, including censorship & banning volunteers from the listserv for speaking out.
Additionally, we can not work with or accept messages that promote classist attacks on the most vulnerable in our society such as the chemically dependent homeless who were attacked as “drug house” rot in recent PR campaign material.
We wish them well, but we must have our own space which does not operate on a commercially oriented basis.”