The evidence is in, the arguments have been presented — it is now up for the jury to decide.

The murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is coming to a close as the jury received instructions and closing arguments Monday. Next, the jury is sequestered and determines the verdict and, if they decide to convict, what charges to apply to Chauvin for killing George Floyd.

The Daily has offered daily briefings throughout trial proceedings.

Chauvin is charged with second-degree manslaughter and second- and third-degree murder. In order for Chauvin to be found guilty on any account, the jury needs to come to a unanimous decision. Even if he is convicted on all three accounts, he would only be sentenced on the most serious offense.

Here’s what that could mean for Chauvin

Below are the Minnesota sentencing guidelines, depicting how long someone can be sentenced per crime committed and their criminal history.

Here’s a quick little explanation of Minnesota’s sentencing guidelines, which can help Minnesotans and out-of-staters alike understand what Derek Chauvin would face if found guilty — as well as understanding the charge Kim Potter now faces. First, this is the grid. pic.twitter.com/jHVgiyqlE7

— Lou Raguse (@LouRaguse) April 15, 2021

If Chauvin is convicted, there will be a list of questions for the jury to reply “yes” or “no” to that define any aggravating factors, circumstances that can make a case particularly more unpardonable than a case with the same charge.

Former Hennepin County chief public defender Mary Moriarty said some of these questions are: Were there minors present? How many minors were present? Was George Floyd handcuffed? Was he in a particularly vulnerable position?

These questions indicate aggravating factors in the case, and if the jury responds with “yes” to any of these questions, the judge can grant an “upward departure,” adding time to Chauvin’s sentence. The amount of time added is up to the judge.

Judge Peter Cahill said he will allow both the defense and the prosecution to write memos arguing what sentence they believe is appropriate.

Second-degree murder

Second-degree murder is interpreted as the defendant having been in the process of committing a felony — in this case, assaulting Floyd — that contributed substantially to the death of a person. In this case, the state is arguing that Chauvin committed third-degree assault against Floyd. There does not have to be intent.

Because Chauvin does not have a criminal record, the average sentence for second-degree murder is 150 months — about 12 and a half years. The maximum sentence is 40 years if Cahill granted an upward departure.

Third-degree murder

For Chauvin to be convicted of third-degree murder, the jury needs to find that he acted with a “depraved mind,” meaning he acted with reckless disregard for Floyd’s life. The state does not have to prove intent or that Chauvin committed assault against Floyd. This is the highest negligence charge possible, according to Moriarty.

The average sentence for third-degree murder is 12 and a half years, but the judge can add time for aggravating factors. The maximum sentence is 25 years.

Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor was convicted of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in 2019 and was sentenced to over 12 years for the offense. His case is up for appeal in June, which could impact Chauvin’s sentence if he is also charged with third-degree murder.

“I’m sure that the judge will be thinking about … the differences between Noor and Chauvin’s behavior when he is deciding an appropriate sentence,” Moriarty said.

The instructions for third-degree murder in Chauvin’s case are based on the Noor ruling, so if it is overturned in June, then Chauvin could appeal if convicted for third-degree murder, MPR News reports.

Second-degree manslaughter

For Chauvin to be convicted of second-degree manslaughter, the jury needs to find him guilty of having taken a conscious risk with Floyd’s life that resulted in his death. The sentence can be as high as 10 years in prison or a fine of no more than $20,000.

Prosecution’s case

On Monday, Chauvin waived the right for a jury to determine whether there were aggravating factors after the state filed a notice to seek an aggravated sentence. Now Cahill must decide.

The state called 38 witnesses, arguing that Chauvin’s knee on Floyd’s neck substantially contributed to his death and Chauvin’s use of force was not reasonable and violated Minneapolis Police Department policy.

The state brought forward two medical examiners, a cardiologist and a pulmonologist to stack up the medical evidence that Floyd’s heart and lungs then stopped because of Chauvin’s actions.

Dr. Martin Tobin, a pulmonologist, said that low oxygen caused Floyd’s heart to stop, killing him. He testified the prone position, the positioning of Floyd’s handcuffs and the positioning of Chauvin’s knees on Floyd’s neck and back all played a key role in restricting his oxygen.

He estimated that Chauvin continued to kneel on Floyd’s neck for three minutes and two seconds after there was no oxygen left in his body.

Tobin also disproved the defense’s argument that the carbon monoxide from the squad car built up in Floyd’s lungs and contributed to his death. Since Floyd’s oxygen saturation was 98%, the maximum amount of carbon monoxide that could have been in his system was 2%, Tobin said.

The state has the burden of proving that Chauvin’s use of force was excessive and did not fit what a “reasonable police officer” would do.

Multiple use-of-force experts and Minneapolis police officers, including chief of police Medaria Arradondo, testified that Chauvin’s use of force violated MPD policy and training.

“To continue to apply that level of force to a person proned out, handcuffed behind their back … that in no way, shape or form is anything [according to] policy,” Arradondo said. “It is not part of our training and it certainly is not a part of our ethics or values.”

Seth Stoughton, an associate professor of criminal law at the University of South Carolina Law School and use-of-force expert, walked the jury through a video of Chauvin’s restraint. He pointed out various moments when the officers should have put Floyd into the side recovery position and applied first aid, most notably when former officer Thomas Lane checked for Floyd’s pulse and did not find one.

Now this clip. Stoughton says two things stand out: Floyd says he can’t breathe, an indicator of positional asphyxia. Also, Stoughton says drug or alcohol use can exacerbate positional asphyxia. Officers here discuss drug or alcohol use. pic.twitter.com/0yNV2RX614

— Rochelle Olson (@rochelleolson) April 12, 2021

Defense’s case

The defense rested its case after bringing seven witnesses to the stand over the course of two days without the testimony of Chauvin.

Eric Nelson, Chauvin’s attorney, focused his argument around Floyd’s prior health conditions and argued that Chauvin’s use of force was reasonable given his training at the Minneapolis Police Department and the stressful nature of the scene on May 25, 2020.

Nelson’s witnesses included a use-of-force expert, the MPD’s emergency medical response training officer, an eyewitness, a former medical examiner and current and former police officers.

Dr. David Fowler, Maryland’s former chief medical examiner, contradicted the two autopsies done on Floyd, claiming that his death was “undetermined.” Both Hennepin County medical examiners determined that the cause of death was homicide.

“I actually was expecting him to say it was accidental,” Moriarty said. “And so that puts the defense in the position of arguing against reasonable doubt, which isn’t a particularly strong position.”

Fowler is currently being sued for the wrongful death and civil rights violations of a Black teenager in police custody.

The use-of-force witness, Barry Brodd, was the first witness to claim that Chauvin’s use of the controversial prone position was justified, contradicting the prosecution’s multiple witnesses that said it is lethal and played a significant factor in Floyd’s death.

“I don’t think [Brodd] really helped the defense case at all. Partly because his testimony was directly contradictory to all of the officers from the Minneapolis police department, including the chief,” Moriarty said. “It just didn’t make much sense, how can you say that entire nine and a half minutes was not a use of force?”

Mayor Jacob Frey issued a 10 p.m. curfew in Minneapolis on Tuesday afternoon following two days of protests in response to the police killing of Daunte Wright. 

Last night’s multi-county 7 p.m. curfew was met with hundreds of protesters outside of the Brooklyn Center Police Department. Activists and community members gathered to protest the police killing of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man. 

Kim Potter, a Brooklyn Center police officer, shot Wright after attempting to arrest him for having expired license plates. Both Potter and the department’s police chief, Tim Gannon, resigned Tuesday morning. 

The curfew will be in effect until 6 a.m. Wednesday, meaning that people may not travel on any public street or in any public place. 

People will be exempt if they are traveling to work, religious services or if they are seeking medical care. Media, law enforcement, emergency responders and community patrol organizations are exempt as well. 

This is a breaking news report. More information may be added as it becomes available.

The long-debated Africa Village, a cultural mall plan including retail and affordable housing in Cedar-Riverside, waits to move forward under City Council member Jamal Osman.

The city still has to give developer designation, or exclusive rights, to Sherman Associates, the only developer who bid on the project more than a year ago. Then, the project can move into further stages, such as soliciting public bids from investors and hosting further public discussions.

The city of Minneapolis originally slated to go through public discussions last summer and start construction by this spring, but COVID-19 pushed the timeline back.

The Africa Village project has been in the works for years and includes a public market, a small-business incubator, 165 affordable-housing units and a clinic. Former council member Abdi Warsame spearheaded the mall and led past public comment efforts steeped in tension.

Since then, Osman was elected to the Ward 6 seat. He said he is highly supportive of the project but wants to seek extensive community feedback before proceeding.

“This will be centered around the community, this is where they live and do business, and it’s very important to engage and make sure however we plan it … this will have a positive effect,” Osman said.

Sherman Associates has preliminary drawings of the site but is waiting for the designation to continue planning, said CEO George Sherman. He said the next steps after the designation are getting public bids and neighborhood feedback.

The public engagement period could stretch from six to 18 months, Sherman said, allowing enough time for the developers to put together a financial package and fully understand the neighbors’ vision for the site.

Russom Solomon, owner of the neighboring Red Sea restaurant, said previous efforts to plan out Africa Village were rocky because Warsame and project leaders didn’t meaningfully engage with the neighborhood. He said he thought Osman understood the importance of engaging with community members in development conversations, so he was more optimistic about upcoming conversations.

“The reason why the approach was wrong is they were bringing people from outside to give input about the neighborhood,” Solomon said. “How can you call outside people who don’t live there, who don’t work there, to come and decide the fate of a neighborhood?”

Discussions over the future of the African mall have been divisive. In one meeting in a gymnasium, Warsame asked neighbors to move to different sides of the room if they supported the project or not. Eventually, protesters shouted him and Mayor Jacob Frey out of the room.

Tim Mungavan, director of the West Bank Community Development Corporation, said that safety and parking were two of neighbors’ main concerns.

“The danger of the development is that either it could remove all of that parking or even if it were replaced, make it prohibitively expensive for existing businesses, in which case they would be unable to continue to survive and therefore, dramatically change the character of the neighborhood,” Mungavan said.

Mungavan added that the neighborhood already has two African malls. He said residents are concerned that another mall would attract the same crime and drug trafficking that the other malls have received.

“The management of those malls has been problematic,” Mungavan said.

Sherman said the plan includes two levels of underground parking with about 200 spaces.

If the project moves forward, Sherman said it would be owned by a nonprofit, which hasn’t been determined yet.

“We’ll have a community discussion about making sure that the community-owned the mall … [represents] the best interest of the tenants in the mall,” Sherman said.

After a lawsuit and years of neighborhood pushback, the public comment period for East Phillips roof depot site closed Thursday.

Minneapolis City Council will now decide whether to demolish the Roof Depot building and build a Public Works water treatment facility, or conduct another environmental study of the neighborhood and potential impacts of the project. The proposal goes against East Phillips Neighborhood Institute’s (EPNI) push for an indoor farm with aquaponics for year-round crops, a bike shop, farmer’s market, coffee shop and 28 units of affordable housing.

With the comment period closed, supporters have started pressuring council members to vote against the demolition of the site and sign on to the indoor farm idea.

“One hundred letters to a city council member can make a huge impact,” said Sage Brinton, a third-year University of Minnesota student volunteering with EPNI. “And so I’ve just been trying to, like educate the people around me … because I feel like we can feel pretty powerless.”

University students have found ways to get involved by writing public comments and hosting Zoom seminars to raise awareness of EPNI’s vision for the Roof Depot site and teach students how to write a public comment.

The city acquired the site in 2016, designating it as a place for a water distribution facility that would consolidate three others into one location. After a neighborhood petition in October, the city conducted an environmental assessment and released it for the public comment period.

According to the city, the expansion would bring 100 more work vehicles and equipment — with 500 total vehicles on site. The environmental assessment stated the city could minimize vehicle emissions by shutting off unused equipment or using newer models of vehicles.

EPNI was not satisfied with the results.

“What they missed was they left out the whole health impact of the increased toxic exposure that the city’s project would bring into our neighborhood,” said Karen Clark, a former lawmaker and East Phillips resident.

Clark said the new water distribution facility would bring more employees driving to work and home, increasing the daily air pollution. She added the neighborhood has already faced significant pollution from a factory that spilled arsenic into the ground decades ago.

Minneapolis city staff declined to comment on the Hiawatha Campus Expansion project. City spokesperson Casper Hill said in an email that the public comments “will be collected, categorized and will be addressed/answered.”

Hill said the city’s Community Planning & Economic Development Department will make a recommendation based on the comments and environmental assessment results. Another economic development committee will review it April 20, then, if approved, it will go to the full City Council April 30.

The project needs the approval of the full City Council in order to demolish the building and start construction. If approved, the city puts the project out for public bid and it would take a few months before demolition actually begins, Hill said.

Clark said that now that the public comment period has closed, EPNI is encouraging council members to reject the Public Works project or conduct a more comprehensive environmental study.

“If they’re doing an environmental impact statement and looking at all of the cumulative effects, then we’re convinced that this project is not going to be able to go forward,” EPNI lawyer Elizabeth Royal said.

Ward 8 City Council member Andrea Jenkins was the first council member to publicly announce her support for EPNI’s indoor urban farm plan. Ward 2 city Council member Cam Gordon has also come forward against turning the space into a Public Works facility.

In his newsletter, Gordon wrote, “I am working with the Council Member from that area, Alondra Cano, and other colleagues, to put forward a motion at next month’s committee meeting to stop the demolition, end this part of the project, and start the process of selling this land for another use that would have more community support.”

Regardless of what the City Council decides, Royal said the goal of the ongoing lawsuit between EPNI and the city is to keep the building intact until the court has decided the case, “because the damage is going to be done as soon as demolition starts.”

After the first official day of the trial against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, about 300 protesters gathered outside of the Hennepin County Government Center to advocate for a guilty verdict and community control of the police.

One activist chained herself to the fence around the government building, saying that she wouldn’t leave until Gov. Tim Walz met with the families of people killed by police violence.

Over 20 activist groups hosted the event, including Black Lives Matter Minnesota, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar and the University of Minnesota’s Students for a Democratic Society. The march traveled down 3rd Avenue South before looping back to the Government Plaza.

Inside the courtroom, the day began with opening statements and later the prosecution brought in the three witnesses.

Kaia Hirt, a local teacher and organizer with Good Trouble for Justice, chained herself to the fence around the Government Center building after the march. Hirt said she would not leave until she got a phone call from Walz explaining why he “hasn’t found time” to meet with families of victims of police violence in the Twin Cities.

She also asked legislators to lift the statute of limitations for civil suits on police violence and for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter to meet with the victims’ families.

Hirt stayed outside overnight and was still chained to the fence as of Tuesday afternoon.

Hirt was following the actions of “Locks for Stolen Lives,” where protesters have been writing the names of people killed by police violence on padlocks and locking them on the fences near the Government Center.

Kaia Hirt is locking herself to the fence “until her demands are met.” This follows along with Locks for Stolen Lives, where protesters write the names of Black people who have died from police violence on locks and lock them on the fence. pic.twitter.com/iTFmEDPRGQ

— Lydia Morrell (@lydia_morrell) March 30, 2021

“It’s an idea that we got from the Paris love lock bridge … couples would write their names on the lock and it was a symbol of their commitment forever to each other,” Hirt said. “We sort of turned that idea on its side and said we’re committed forever in our fight for justice for our loved ones who are gone now.”

Jess Sundin, a Freedom Road Socialist Organization organizer, said the trial has been “emotional” after the state showed the viral bystander video in its opening statement. Sundin was collecting signatures at the protest for a petition to amend the city charter and establish an elected civilian police oversight panel. The body would replace existing civilian and city police oversight groups, as reported by MinnPost.

“We want to establish an all-elected civilian police accountability commission,” Sundin said. “It would do the work that the mayor is not doing right now and it would put the power over discipline, power over negotiating the police contract.”

Protesters milled around the sunny plaza starting at 5 p.m., and many were dressed as if they came straight from work.

Ishmael Mack was selling t-shirts and masks near the courthouse. He is a bus driver who brings groups of people to protests for free, using the proceeds from his “Black Lives Matter” items to fuel the bus.

“What makes me want to do this is I see a melting pot of different races, different cultures,” Mack said. “Everybody’s coming together and that makes me feel strong and it makes me want to do more.”

Dozens of people braved the cold and snow outside of the Hennepin County Government Center on Monday to protest what they saw as unfair jury selection in the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin.

Two more jurors were seated as the protest carried on, making nine out of 14 needed. Activists argued the process has been riddled with racism and the defense team has unfairly struck potential jurors of color.

Protesters expressed frustration at the currently seated jurors, particularly jurors who have ties to police officers. Juror nine, a mixed-race woman, has an uncle who is a police officer near Brainerd, and juror 19, a white man, has a distant friend who is an officer. Juror 52, a Black man who was seated on Monday, said he goes to the gym with Minneapolis officers who he called “great guys.”

Several speakers said they thought it was important to have “peers of George Floyd” on the jury to have a fair trial; more than half of the current jury is white.

“What we will find out from this trial is if the system or we have any humanity left in us. We’re going to find out if we actually value the life of the lives of human beings,” Jaylani Hussein, director of the Minnesota Council on American-Islamic Relations, said at the rally.

Communities United Against Police Brutality and five other activist groups hosted the event, and protesters marched a short route around the Government Center.

Nadia Shaarawi, a fourth-year University of Minnesota student and organizer with the Students for a Democratic Society, said community vigilance early in the trial placed important pressure on those in the courtroom.

“We’re out here because the jury selection is going exactly how we expected to,” Shaarawi said. “It’s important to know that we’re watching the jury selection and we know what’s happening.”

Many of the protesters were also concerned with how the defense struck potential jurors of color.

Defense attorney Eric Nelson tried to strike juror one, a Hispanic woman, saying she could not serve on the jury because she had some difficulties understanding English. Judge Peter Cahill denied it, and the defense eventually struck her because she wrote “unjust death of George Floyd” on her questionnaire.

“I just felt that the way that she was treated seemed to be discriminatory, in a sense of the defense acting as if the woman was not sophisticated enough to understand the proceedings,” said Nekima Levy Armstrong, a civil rights attorney and activist, at a webinar hosted by the Legal Rights Center Monday evening.

Andrew Gordon, deputy director for community legal services at the Legal Rights Center, said the jury system is flawed in how it approaches fairness. The jury questionnaire asks about experiences “that one may have because of their ethnicity, or because of their race,” which can be grounds for a for-cause dismissal, Gordon said at the webinar.

“So you have a bad experience with law enforcement, largely because you’re Black, and therefore [they’re] going to kick you off of this jury,” Gordon said.

After Friday’s announcement that the city of Minneapolis paid $27 million to the Floyd family in a civil suit settlement, Cahill said he will call seven seated jurors back to be re-questioned about the settlement, and if it changed their ability to presume that Chauvin is innocent.

Hundreds of people demonstrated outside the Government Center on the first day of the trial, but turnout declined by the second week. As the trial moves forward, activist Kaia Hirt with Good Trouble for Justice said she is worried that fewer people will attend protests in the coming weeks.

“And that’s the fear and the disappointment of BIPOC people because that has been the pattern throughout our country’s history,” Hirt said.

Over the past year, customers of Palmer’s Bar have found unique ways to support the West Bank locale, from hosting art auctions to purchasing old pieces of the building.

Longtime customer Andrew Buechler bought a Palmer’s ceiling tile, removed from the building last July, during a previous fundraising effort.

He laughed as he read from the note attached to the tile, “It represents approximately 70 years of decadence, lost memories and an immeasurable amount of cigarette smoke.”

Palmer’s Bar has stayed closed to keep employees healthy and save money since the governor’s restaurant shutdown last November. Now, the popular West Bank bar is about to reopen in the next few weeks with the help of more than $20,000 from community donations and proceeds from the “Art as Dirty As It Looks” online auction.

Shaleen Meyer, a regular customer, set up a Facebook donation page that reached nearly $22,000 in a little over two weeks. The donation page is still open, and more than 400 people have contributed to the fund.

“It was cool to see everybody coming together and to see how positive of an effect it had for everybody as well, because it’s a way to help out when there’s little you can do to help,” Meyer said.

The money will go toward bills, payroll and restocking the bar, owner Tony Zaccardi said. While he has received some aid, he said Palmer’s Bar missed out on the latest $15,000 COVID-19 relief payment because of an issue with the application — so the fundraiser was a welcome surprise.

“[Meyer] paid out a portion of it to me today, and I was in tears,” Zaccardi said. “Knowing that there’s so much support for me and for this bar, it’s pretty mind-blowing.”

Each auctioned piece starts at $5 and if it is not purchased, Zaccardi said he would donate it. Some of the artwork comes from the walls around the bar, some is from the previous owner’s collection and others will be from donations.

“I think there’s going to be some nostalgia pieces in there for folks that they might want to jump at and it’s all being done with the best intentions,” Zaccardi said.

The site hosts everything from a sledding toboggan to a grizzly bear mirror.

Zaccardi plans to open the doors in two to three weeks. He said he was waiting to open the bar until more vaccines are distributed and the weather warms up so that customers can comfortably use the patio to socially distance.

Palmer’s Bar reopened after the initial shut down in March 2020, but closed down again in November because of Gov. Tim Walz’s mandate. Zaccardi said he did not reopen right away in December because of pandemic concerns.

Within this time, Zaccardi has explored alternative ways of keeping the bar afloat during closures. He has been selling Palmer’s Christmas ornaments, t-shirts, ceiling tiles and coloring books, to name a few.

Zaccardi said people have been excited to purchase “a little piece of history from this place” because of the deep-rooted sense of community of the bar. Palmer’s was established in 1906, and some customers have been coming for decades.

“It’s just a home for so many people or was a home for so many people in the ’80s, in the ’90s or in the ’60s,” Zaccardi said. “There’s just a lot of lore and love in this crazy, tiny little room.”

Minneapolis officials aim to give renters the first chance to purchase their home when the property owner puts it up for sale, but some advocates worry that public housing residents will be left out.

The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) is a proposed ordinance that would give a tenant first dibs on their building when the landlord decides to sell. Local lawmakers are modeling TOPA after a Washington, D.C. policy that has been in place since 1980, which some residents have used to band together and buy the buildings they live in.

“[TOPA is] problematic in that it feels like the right to purchase only matters if it’s not people who live in public housing,” said Kaaha Kaahiye, a public housing activist and Prospect Park Association staff member.

TOPA at the city

University of Minnesota-area Minneapolis City Council members Cam Gordon and Steve Fletcher, of Wards 2 and 3, are working on the proposal alongside two other Council members and the Housing Justice League, a coalition of seven neighborhood organizations and housing advocacy groups.

“TOPA on its own is not going to solve the housing crisis that Minneapolis is experiencing pre- and during the pandemic,” said Grace Berke, Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association staff member. “But it’s important that we continue to pursue every tool that we can to begin to really make some of those changes.”

Gordon said the Council members are drafting the ordinance and hope to have it ready for a public hearing and vote by late spring or early summer.

There are three options for how the policy could look in Minneapolis. The first option gives tenants the right to purchase their building or assign that right to any other buyer.

The second option is the same, but if tenants choose to assign their right to another buyer, it must be an approved developer on a shortlist prepared by the city. The third option does not let tenants purchase the building; instead, the right goes directly to the list of approved developers.

“The first option, I would say, is the one that maximizes the rights for tenants,” Berke said.

Residents could form a tenant association or partner with a nonprofit organization or developer to purchase the building, Berke said. She added that the Housing Justice League is looking into ways to support tenants so they can organize within the city’s deadlines.

From D.C. to Glendale

The city is modeling this proposal off of Washington, D.C.’s TOPA, and in creating the policy, public housing advocates worry that Minneapolis will adopt D.C.’s shortcomings as well.

“It’s also that this TOPA that is being discussed at the [Minneapolis] city level is going to be based off of TOPA that’s happening in D.C.,” Kaahiye said. “And currently, we see there are public housing residents who are unable to purchase their homes because of the same things we are dealing with in Minneapolis.”

In Washington, the tenants’ rights nonprofit organization Can I Live is also campaigning to allow public housing residents the first chance to purchase. In Minneapolis, advocates fear that public housing residents will not be able to buy their homes if the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) privatizes their buildings.

Gordon said while there should be opportunities to purchase public housing that is up for sale, he wants to keep public housing public and maintain deeply affordable housing.

“[TOPA] could be really powerful … as a wealth-building opportunity,” Gordon said. “But it also might not be what we want to have happen if we have waiting lists of people still wanting more rental public housing and subsidized [housing].”

Ladan Yusuf, Defend Glendale and Public Housing Coalition campaign organizer, said the policy draft should also include financial support for public housing and Section 8 residents to purchase their home if it goes up for sale.

“[If MPHA] doesn’t give people the option to buy the homes, if [MPHA] makes things difficult, then what are the consequences?” Yusuf asked. “Can [residents] take them to court? Can they file a complaint? Will the city protect these residents if MPHA tries to block them from buying the homes?”

Kaahiye said she knows many public housing residents interested in buying their homes, and she believes this could help lift communities out of poverty.

“We can build community wealth, like be able to have financial stability and homeownership as a tool out of poverty,” Kaahiye said, “especially if it’s public housing residents.”

Adrianne Carter, a customer of 15 years, spent nearly an hour in Dinkytown Wine & Spirits on its last day open to say heartfelt goodbyes to the staff.

Carter said she first accidentally wandered into the store years ago to get to the Subway that used to be located in the building. Since then, she has been a regular customer, even when she was taking care of her father in his final months.

“He loved Samuel Adams Cherry [Wheat], and so [Dinkytown Wine & Spirits] ordered two cases. And I picked it up, they called me and made sure it was all right,” Carter said. “They just feel like family and I’m going to miss them. I really am. And my dad was so happy, they really made his last month.”

After a week of regulars flocking to the store to stock up on alcohol and say their final goodbyes, Dinkytown Wine & Spirits shut its doors for the last time on Jan. 9.

A developer bought the land under the liquor store, McDonald’s and multiple other businesses, setting off multiple closures in preparation for construction. McDonald’s is expected to reopen within a year or two in the same location as part of the new development, but Dinkytown Wine & Spirits is closing down for good.

“Here is a community store,” owner Irv Hershkovitz said. “We have a small footprint compared to these big 20,000 square feet superstores, but [if] we know we have a regular customer who wants a pint of watermelon New Amsterdam, then we put that in for him.”

Hershkovitz said besides getting to know regular student customers, he often sponsored fraternity fundraisers and other University-affiliated events throughout his decades in Dinkytown. Hershkovitz also previously owned Fowl Play, a bar that closed in 1999 and was located near one of the fraternity houses.

“[The fraternity members] would always come in and grab me at bar close and go, ‘Come on over and have a beer.’ And when one year someone walked in and said, ‘Whose dad are you?’ I said, ‘I’m done, I’m not coming here anymore,’” Hershkovitz said with a laugh.

For many University of Minnesota students, the liquor store is a staple. Third-year student Mattea Schubert came by for her first time on the last day.

“It seems like a very important and nostalgic part of the U,” Schubert said. “[I] wanted to come be a part of it.”

Dinkytown Wine & Spirits opened in 1990. On the last day of business, Hershkovitz and his wife Kate Endt greeted customers — some who he has sold to for the past 30 years — with easy conversation and, occasionally, tears in their eyes.

“I’m going to miss the regular customers, the people, right? And Irv,” said Tammy Henry, an employee of over 20 years.

Hershkovitz said the store has received an enormous influx of customers during its last week, some buying as much alcohol as they could carry in a show of appreciation for the store and its staff.

“I have to leave, because I start to cry,” Hershkovitz said. “It’s not just the community, it’s people who graduated 30 years ago. I had a kid come in yesterday who bartended for me in 1981, and we had to come down to say goodbye.”

Hershkovitz and his wife are planning to buy some commercial buildings in Minneapolis and Naples, Florida, but will no longer be a part of Dinkytown.

Hershkovitz said selling the liquor store to developers has been on the table for years, but this time, at 68 years old, he decided to retire and move on.

“I thought it would be good for the area and good for us,” Hershkovitz said. “And I’m tired of working seven days a week.”

Just over a week past the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection in Washington, D.C., two planned right-wing rallies at the Minnesota State Capitol saw slim turnout.

Hold the Line MN (HTL), a right-wing organization, hosted a Saturday “Freedom Fest” against the results of the election and a “Sunday Church Service” at the Capitol building, with both drawing more media and law enforcement than protesters. For months, the group and other adjacent organizations have held protests at the Capitol and governor’s mansion with significantly higher turnout.

Becky Strohmeier, the HTL organizer, said she thought the lack of participation over the weekend was due to safety concerns following the insurrection at the Washington, D.C. Capitol.

The Minneapolis Division of the FBI published a report from December showing credible evidence that right-wing extremist groups were targeting the Minnesota State Capitol leading up to the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, according to Yahoo News.

While law enforcement around the country warned of threats to state capitol buildings, many right-wing organizations also urged supporters to stay home over the weekend. The Minnesota Proud Boys shared in their Telegram channel that they would not be attending Capitol demonstrations this month, “and you shouldn’t either.”

In response to the possible threat, Minnesota law enforcement — led by Minnesota State Patrol — stood guard on the Capitol steps and around the perimeter armed and wearing neon yellow vests. Wire fences and roadblocks were erected around the perimeter of the Capitol, along with various police vehicles and military-style humvees.

Saturday’s event was scheduled to take place from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Less than about 20 protesters attended and were surrounded by dozens of reporters and roughly 100 law enforcement personnel.

“Today, we’re mostly just defending our reputation,” Strohmeier said. “[After] a group of people … did storm the Capitol [in Washington, D.C.], we’ve had a lot of bad press.”

Strohmeier, who has been organizing protests in response to the presidential election since November, said she identifies herself and the HTL supporters as “patriots.”

Many of the right-wing protesters also shared baseless conspiracies about election fraud and challenging COVID-19 restrictions. Protesters held flags that read “Don’t tread on me” or “Give me liberty or give me death.” Several also wore various pro-Trump memorabilia; one spectator handed out free Bibles.

The event also attracted several counter-protestors and spectators.

Steve Brandt, an election judge for the city of Minneapolis, stood on the outside of the crowd of protestors holding a sign that read, “I AM AN ELECTION JUDGE, TELL ME HOW I STOLE OUR ELECTION ???”

Brandt said the allegations of election fraud made him angry. He said he worked at a polling location from 5:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. the day after Election Day while following meticulous instruction and procedures.

“I’ve worked for the last six elections in the city of Minneapolis. And this one was no different from any other,” Brandt said.

Sunday’s event consisted of roughly four individuals participating in prayer and service activities, as well as a handful of counter-protesters and members of Nonviolent Peaceforce, a civilian protection group that uses nonviolent tactics. Again, members of the media vastly outnumbered protesters.

Woodbury resident Steve Addyman, 56, attended Sunday’s event to promote his “anti-‘ist’” beliefs, which he said involves avoiding using negative “-ist” identifiers (such as racist, sexist, anti-feminist) when speaking about important issues. He said he believes that some of today’s division stems from this hostile language.

“Everything we’ve been doing for the last 50 years doesn’t work,” Addyman said. “It just draws a line in the sand: me against you. … If everyone would stop being so ‘-ist’, a lot of [division] would just go away.”

Strohmeier said Sunday’s event was “a good day to bring God to the Capitol.” She said neither of the protests held this weekend were considered “pro-Trump” rallies, they “just use a lot of the wording that Trump supporters would be drawn to.”

With Biden’s inauguration Wednesday, some HTL members said they planned to stay home throughout the week.

“We’ll see how it pans out,” Strohmeier said, “I just have faith that everything will turn out okay.”

J.D. Duggan contributed to this report.