University of Minnesota students living in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood will start to see significant changes to Marcy Park after the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) approved major renovations Wednesday.

The overhaul is a part of the “East of the River Park Master Plan,” which seeks to renovate and add parks in Minneapolis’ northeast and southeast neighborhoods over the next 20 years. The proposed changes to Marcy Park include a new basketball court, a small dog park and areas for bouldering and setting up hammocks.

“This project would provide new amenities that would serve the population around [Marcy- Holmes] better,” said MPRB District 1 Commissioner Chris Meyer.

Meyer also said the park board received plenty of feedback from University students after sending out surveys about the park changes and that the planned changes are primarily with students in mind.

Marcy-Holmes has one of the highest percentages of residents ranging from 18 to 25 years old in Minneapolis. While students attending the nearby University are usually short-term renters, these demographics rarely see much change from year to year.

However, one of Marcy Park’s defining features is its playground, even though Marcy-Holmes has one of the lowest percentages of families with small children in northeast and southeast Minneapolis.

“It’s really important to have more amenities for college adults rather than toddlers,” Meyer said.

Chris Lautenschlager, executive director of the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association (MHNA), said he hopes the remodeling of the park will encourage more unity between the western and eastern sides of the neighborhood.

“There’s kind of a strong division with I-35W smack in the middle of the neighborhood, and we’re hoping that this brings the two sides closer together,” Lautenschlager said.

Lautenschlager said that the renovations have the blessing of the MHNA.

Bill Huntzicker, a Dinkytown historian and member of MHNA, was unhappy with the changes to what he said the park was originally designed for.

“The park was designed for relaxation, green space and small children. Please preserve these goals as much as possible,” Huntzicker said in an email to the park board. In the note, he recalled seeing children playing in the park during the winter and local daycares near the park.

While many of the renovations will happen over the 20 years outlined in the masterplan, Meyer said the first project on the agenda is the basketball court.

Amy Zhou did not enjoy her first trip to the Minnesota State Capitol.

As soon as she stepped foot into a state Senate meeting room over a year ago, the University of Minnesota student had to leave and battle a panic attack in the bathroom nearby. No one looked like her, she said, and she questioned if she belonged there.

A lot has changed since then. The governor’s office recently appointed Zhou to the Young Women’s Cabinet (YWC). She and other women of color work to shape state policy and create a more representative Minnesota Legislature.

“We have policymakers that simply don’t look like us, and that comes in every single form rather than just ethnic diversity,” said Zhou, a fourth-year University student. “That’s something that is needed in Minnesota.”

The Women’s Foundation of Minnesota (WFM), which was the first of its kind in the nation, spearheaded the foundation of the YWC in 2016. The cabinet, partnering with Gov. Tim Walz’s office, comprises 32 women and nonbinary individuals from eight underrepresented communities across the state, including Black women, Indigenous women, women with disabilities and more.

“[The cabinet] really sets up infrastructure for the lasting change that is beyond tokenization,” Zhou said.

These cabinet members, between the ages of 16 and 24, work to increase gender equity in state politics and bridge the gap between lawmakers and those underrepresented communities. According to WFM spokesperson Jen Day, they hope to center women’s voices, from many different communities, in legislative conversations and enact change in areas such as gender discrimination.

“It ensures that the state really invests in the power and the potential of young women who are leading so much in every sector we see in this moment,” Day said.

Since 2016, the YWC has helped direct over $1 million to nonprofits and individuals while training policy advocates and increasing leadership development among young women.

The WFM often works hand-in-hand with the Center on Women, Gender and Public Policy at the University’s Humphrey School.

Their joint 2020 study found several prevalent issues that continue to undermine women in Minnesota’s workforce, such as pervasive wage gaps. Women still make only 79 cents to a man’s dollar, even though Minnesota leads the nation in women in the workforce.

That gap can be even wider for women of color. The study showed that the gap between white women and white men in Minnesota is twice as large for Hmong women, Indigenous women, and Latinas. The pay gap is nearly twice as large for Black women and 2.5 times greater for Somali women than white women.

The study also noted that sexual harassment toward women continues at significant rates in Minnesota and can be more common in male-dominated industries. According to Christina Ewig, a professor at the center, a major concern is the lack of movement on these data points, specifically regarding the amount of sexual violence toward young women.

In a study independent from the WFM, the center also discovered that women of color are more likely to be exposed to COVID-19 in the workplace or be laid off due to the pandemic. The most at-risk groups in Minnesota are Somali and Hmong women of “working age,” Ewig said.

Despite pandemic-related obstacles faced by both themselves and the people they want to represent, Zhou and Nibraas Khan, a third-year student at the University who was also appointed this year, said they’re still excited to put in the work for gender equity.

“The energy is amazing,” Khan said. “Every single kind of powerful, emboldened person I could imagine is in that space. And they care about each other’s opinions, and they value each other and want to uplift each other.”

An ordinance banning city use of facial recognition technology passed unanimously in the Minneapolis City Council on Feb. 10, and advocates are eyeing a statewide ban in the future.

The ordinance was spearheaded by Ward 3 Council member Steve Fletcher, with support from the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota (ACLU) and input from the city attorney and the Minneapolis community. The new ban will prohibit facial recognition technology by all city entities, including the Minneapolis Police Department.

“I feel really strong about it. We really made the case, and everybody was convinced that this was the right direction to go,” Fletcher said.

The ban does not yet extend to the Hennepin County Sheriff’s office, which often shares resources with MPD and is currently in possession of this technology. A University of Minnesota spokesperson said campus police do not currently use facial recognition technology.

Bans on facial recognition technology are increasing nationally and globally. Cities such as New York City and Portland, Oregon already banned the tech, plus all of Canada. Many experts say the costs outweigh the benefits, as studies have shown facial recognition technology to be largely inaccurate, especially when identifying women, children and people of color.

A 2018 study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Microsoft found that darker-skinned women are nearly 35% more likely to be misidentified by facial recognition technology than lighter-skinned white men.

Munira Mohamed, a policy associate at the Minnesota ACLU, said the organization was grateful for Fletcher’s help and now is focused on getting the ban recognized at the county and, eventually, state level.

“[Passing this ordinance] means we can finally start having a conversation about surveillance technology within the broader scope of police reform,” Mohamed said.

The ACLU is also working alongside cybersecurity experts, as part of a coalition called Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology and Military Equipment, on a broader surveillance initiative that would include bans on thermal cameras, drones and unknown, evolving technologies.

While the ordinance bans the use of facial recognition technology as a whole across Minneapolis, departments can submit an appeal to the City Council asking to use the technology in special circumstances.

“Surveillance technology is not useless. There are legitimate use cases, whether they be related to law enforcement or whether they be related to unlocking your iPhone,” said Chris Weyland, a cybersecurity consultant who has been working with the Minnesota ACLU. “There’s all kinds of legitimate use cases that don’t violate people’s Fourth Amendment rights.”

However, Weyland emphasized that just as dangerous as the technology itself is the harboring of the technology’s data, which is often shared without consent or stolen from law enforcement databases and “abused or misused.”

In 2016, independent journalist Tony Webster made public the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office’s use of facial recognition technology after suing the department for the information. While he said the ordinance is a step in the right direction for those who wish to see the technology banned in Minnesota, he questions how effective it will be.

“I wonder if there might be this sort of ‘wink wink’ relationship,” Webster said. “Even if there’s not a formal collaboration on a specific investigation, a lot of what’s called intelligence sharing could happen.”

Amid the state’s budget challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Minnesota’s financial requests look a little different from last year’s — and the previous 20 years’.

The statewide budget deficit of $1.27 billion for 2022-23 caused by the pandemic and a delayed 2020 legislative session factored into the University’s low ask for state funding this year. Both the capital request and the biennial budget request this year are lower than in years before.

“I think [lawmakers] appreciate that the University has some pretty reasonable requests, compared to terms of the dollar size, and that we’ve looked at the deficit we know that the state is in and the tough challenges ahead,” said J.D. Burton, chief government relations officer for the University.

The $46.5 million budget request for additional funding is the lowest it has been in two decades. The last two requests were $87 million two years ago and nearly $150 million in 2017, with the Legislature approving $43.5 million and about $55 million in those cycles, respectively.

This funding is on top of the nearly $700 million the University already receives from the state of Minnesota.

The capital request, which will be considered next year, amounts to $264 million — $53 million less than last year’s — and is mostly for Higher Education Asset Preservation and Replacement funds across the University system. The University is also working to construct a new chemistry lab facility on the Twin Cities campus and a new science building on the Duluth campus.

President Joan Gabel is accounting for the additional $46.5 million in the systemwide strategic plan but has not decided how to use the funds.

The plan, called MPACT: 2025, includes goals such as reducing financial barriers for students and recruiting and retaining more diverse students and faculty, among other priorities.

Minnesota Student Association President Amy Ma spoke at the Jan. 14 legislative breakfast with University administrators and state lawmakers to highlight the importance of state funding for student accessibility.

“The University of Minnesota has deep ties with the state of Minnesota. Yet, higher education remains inaccessible to first-generation students, students of color, Indigenous students, students with disabilities and more,” Ma said at the breakfast. “To really fulfill our mission of educating and bettering the state of Minnesota, we will need support from our community members and legislators.”

Some students have expressed concern over tuition, especially during COVID-19, as many are left wondering why they are still paying full tuition for online classes. Last spring, some lawmakers attempted to pass legislation demanding larger refunds for students who left an in-person university for spring break and never returned to University housing.

State funding for the University directly impacts tuition prices.

“Certainly, this may have an impact on what the tuition levels are moving forward,” Burton said, but decisions on tuition prices will not be made until June by the University’s Board of Regents.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz also spoke at the legislative breakfast to show his support for the budget requests, noting that the state of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota’s future are closely tied, especially during COVID-19.

“There’s strong agreement that the foundation of this state’s economic engine, cultural engine [and] social engine has been our University systems and of course, the University of Minnesota being the flagship,” Walz said.

When University of Minnesota student Mandy Billups found out her mail-in ballot had not arrived in her home state of Colorado, she was more than disappointed.

She described herself as “that person” on social media, reminding everyone to vote in the 2020 presidential election, and had sent in her ballot in mid-September. Despite this, her vote would not be counted in time.

Billups expressed her frustration to her friend and fellow second-year student Katherine Chicoine, who happened to have a car. As it turned out, she was willing to drive the 13-hour trip, one way, with Billups to help her vote.

But Billups and Chicoine are not the only University students who had to get creative to make their voices heard in the 2020 elections.

Spontaneous road trips and other voting strategies

Billups and Chicoine left the Twin Cities at 9:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2 and drove all night to Billups’ family house in Colorado. When they arrived the next morning on Election Day, Billups’ mother was ready for them with a very patriotic breakfast of fruit and yogurt shaped into an American flag.

“Voting is so important because of all the people who have fought for our ability to vote,” Billups said. “I also think our generation desperately needs to make our voices heard because it’s our future more than anyone else’s.”

Chicoine, who is originally from South Dakota, registered in Minnesota as soon as she could after moving back to the Twin Cities for the semester.

“I knew South Dakota would be red,” Chicoine said. “And Minnesota is technically a swing state, so I wanted to make sure my vote counted here.”

Chicoine voted for now president-elect Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election despite having a mainly Trump-supporting family. According to Chicoine, her father was not too happy about the road trip so Billups could also cast her vote for Biden, but that did not stop Chicoine.

“When you see your friend sad, you’d do anything to make them feel better,” she said.

Chicoine and Billups were among a wave of youth voter turnout this year. More than 50% of eligible people under the age of 30 voted in the 2020 election, according to estimates from Tufts’ CIRCLE, a research organization focused on youth civic engagement. The youth vote — particularly that of young women of color — was crucial to Biden’s win, especially in Midwest states, according to the estimates.

While official data will not be made available on specific voting patterns of University student voters for quite some time, University advocacy coordinator Mike Miller estimates that 2020 could be a record turnout year for Minnesota youth voters in particular. He said while past youth turnout percentages in Minnesota have hovered around the 30s, youth turnout has increased to more than 59% since 2016.

“This cohort of students are the strongest, bravest, kindest people I’ve ever met,” Miller said. “If you think these students aren’t voting, if you think they’re not expressing themselves and making their voice heard, you’re gonna get blindsided in the election. This is an electoral bloc that needs to be paid attention to.”
A record 65 million ballots were cast via mail this election, according to the Pew Research Center. This is nearly double the 33.5 million mail-in ballots received in 2016.

First-year student Novy O’Connell voted by mail in her first election, sending her ballot to her home in Washington County, Wisconsin.

While she does not agree with the electoral college as a whole, she still took the system into consideration when she kept her vote in her home state.

“It’s a very outdated system,” O’Connell said, “but if you have the opportunity to vote where your voice is more powerful, you should do it.”

No vote, no voice?

This year saw record voter turnout, both locally and nationally. However, not all University students were able to show up for the election in the same way.

“I care about a lot, like public health, being pre-med and LGBTQ rights, as someone who belongs to that community,” fourth-year human development major Theodore Marghitu said. “But it’s hard because I’m not a citizen — I can’t vote.”

Due to his refugee status, fourth-year sociology and political science major Juan Mantilla could not vote either. However, he worked alongside UMN Students for Biden to canvas on election day, which he said was a valuable way to inspire people despite his inability to vote.

“This election is really important to me because as I watch my fellow Latinos locked up in cages, that really affects me on a very personal level,” he said. “Even though I personally can’t vote, [canvassing is] just another way for me to be able to know that I’m inspiring people to go and use their voice.”

As conversations around mental health and police reform continue nationwide, Minneapolis could join a growing list of cities to replace some police calls with a mental health response team.

Council members Cam Gordon of Ward 2 and Steve Fletcher of Ward 3 are among those in the Minneapolis City Council pushing for a 2021 budget amendment to help end police-only responses to mental health crisis calls. In cases of a mental health emergency, callers would have the option to contact a mental health professional without the professional being accompanied by a police officer.

“A lot of people are concerned about calling 911 because they don’t want a situation to get worse,” Gordon said. “When we have mental health crises, they do get worse.”

Gordon’s hope for the proposal, he said, is to have a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week mental health mobile emergency response team that would build off already existing co-response programs between the Minneapolis Police Department and mental health professionals.

“I think [a response team] would allow police to focus on really dangerous situations, and they could be responding to more of those,” Gordon said. “Police are expected to do so many things, but maybe they’re not the best responders.”

The response team would also seek to handle things like drug overdoses and incidents involving people who are homeless. According to 2015 data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, nearly 45% of the surveyed individuals who were homeless had some form of mental illness, and nearly 25% were noted to have a severe mental illness.

More than 100 local businesses signed an open letter also seeking for more mental health crisis resources and supporting the creation of the response team. Anna Schmitz, the community manager for the Fair State Brewing Cooperative, helped jumpstart the coalition after concerns arose over how to handle inebriated or mentally ill patrons without arresting them or sending them to jail.

“In the George Floyd killing, the cops showed up because a small business called the police,” Schmitz said. “We don’t blame the business for doing that because there were no other options for that, right? Obviously what happened next was a tragedy.”

Gordon said the main inspiration for this proposal is a policy paper written by Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB) on the importance of ending police-only responses to these crises.

The local grassroots organization “provides advocacy for survivors of police misconduct and the families of people killed by police.” CUAPB notes data that individuals with untreated mental health issues are 16 times more likely than the broader population to be shot and killed by police.

According to a Washington Post database, 181 people out of the 932 people — nearly 20% — shot and killed by police in 2020 were noted as having a mental illness, as of Dec. 9.

Mental health crisis calls are the third highest number of 911 calls in Minneapolis, according to a July 9 Police and Government Oversight Committee update.

“When somebody calls to a loved one, or even just somebody they see on the street, having a mental health episode, they’re not usually asking for law enforcement with weapons,” Fletcher said. “They’re asking for someone who can help care for the person they see in distress.”

Minneapolis could become a part of a growing list of cities who have undertaken similar initiatives. Last month, New York City announced the rollout of a pilot program for mental health professionals to respond to 911 calls that will begin next year. Eugene, Oregon has had a similar program for 30 years, and Denver approved a similar proposal that launched in the summer.

Currently, MPD officers receive around 40 hours of mandatory “Crisis Intervention Training” for mental health crises. MPD also has a “Co-Responder Unit,” which was piloted in 2017, where mental health professionals may work with police officers on a mental health emergency call.

CUAPB argues in its policy paper that 40 hours is not enough training, as it takes many years to become a mental health professional, making police officers inadequate replacements. Additionally, police presence can often further aggravate a mental health crisis rather than de-escalate it, according to the paper.

Fletcher said the vote for the project’s funding is expected to pass in the final budget meeting Wednesday.

As crime in Minneapolis continues to rise citywide in 2020, University of Minnesota neighborhoods are not exempt.

Citywide, Minneapolis has seen a 33% increase in violent crime and a 6% increase in property crime from Sept. 1 to Dec. 1 of 2020, compared to the same dates in 2019.

Minneapolis Police Department crime data gathered and analyzed by the Minnesota Daily shows that crime has risen in University neighborhoods in nearly every category of both violent and property crime during that same date range.

Several major crimes have stood out this year in University neighborhoods, and some remain unsolved. But like many neighborhoods across the country, 2020 continues to be a year of crime upticks for these Southeast Minneapolis communities.

Cedar-Riverside

While violent crime in Cedar-Riverside appeared to decrease in the spring of 2020 compared to last year, that trend hasn’t lasted into the fall.

Aggravated assault and robbery have both more than doubled compared to 2019, reaching 17 and 16 incidents, respectively. Incidences of rape and domestic assault have also increased marginally.

Property crime is also up, with a 33% increase in larceny with 73 reported occurrences this fall, more than double the burglaries at 15 incidents, and a 78% increase in theft from a motor vehicle with 48 incidents.

Southeast Como

Robbery in Southeast Como is up to 4 incidents from one compared to the date range between Sept.1 and Dec.1 of last year.

Larceny is up by 61% with 50 reported occurrences, and theft from a motor vehicle has more than doubled to 38 incidents.

Southeast Como saw its first homicide in five years this past February, when an intoxicated woman stabbed her boyfriend at the 900 block of 15th Avenue Southeast. The woman, Zara Jo Case, was sentenced over the summer to more than 10 years of prison time, according to the Star Tribune.

Marcy-Holmes

On May 8, Jory Wiebrand, an alleged serial rapist, was charged with sexual assault and kidnapping. He is suspected to be responsible for 12 different sexual assaults around the state, at least four of which allegedly occurred in Marcy-Holmes.

However, this fall, aggravated assaults have remained about the same in the largest of the University neighborhoods, while robbery has increased compared to the same timeframe last year, and is up by 69% with 22 incidents.

There are still no leads in the murder of a Marcy-Holmes man from last October, and the incident prompted several safety meetings in the neighborhood.

Marcy-Holmes has seen a 83% increase in property crime overall, reaching 422 incidents this fall. This includes a 122% increase in burglary with 60 reported occurrences, a 59% increase in larceny with 205 reported occurrences. Theft from motor vehicle has more than doubled, reaching 85 incidents this fall. Auto theft has also more than doubled up to 72 incidents.

Prospect Park

While the crime numbers for Prospect Park are relatively small, eight robberies occurred this year, compared to three during the Sept. 1 to Dec. 1 timeframe last year.

There has also been a 52% increase in larceny with 152 reported occurrences, a 93% increase in burglary with 27 occurrences, theft from motor vehicle nearly doubled to 71 incidents and auto theft has increased by 145% to 27 incidents this fall.

University of Minnesota students, staff and faculty were asked to evacuate Smith Hall for a brief period after a chemical spill on Friday.

A SAFE-U alert was sent at 3:53 p.m., alerting students to the spill and asking that anyone inside the building evacuate immediately and avoid the area. What chemical was spilled is currently unknown.

The spill was due to a chemical explosion involving a student, according to a University spokesperson. The student was inside the lab during the explosion, sustained “non-life threatening injuries” and is currently being treated at a hospital.

The building reopened approximately 20 minutes later, according to a second SAFE-U alert sent at 4:15 p.m. Students and staff were advised to avoid rooms 413 and 417. The rooms now remain closed for cleaning.

Smith Hall houses the University’s Department of Chemistry. The Minneapolis Fire Department, EMS personnel, University of Minnesota Police Department and the University’s Department of Environmental Health and Safety responded to the scene.

No classes are being conducted in person per the University’s Sunrise Plan, which transferred all classes to online-learning platforms following Thanksgiving break. 

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

Outside the charred remains of the Minneapolis Third Precinct, a Saturday afternoon rally erupted in celebration — not for Joe Biden but for the first step of what one organizer called the “reclamation of liberation.”

The demonstration, dubbed “Together We Rise: March To Decide Our Future,” gathered more than 700 community members from dozens of Twin Cities advocacy organizations. The group followed the KetzalCoatlicue Aztec Dancers, marching down East Lake Street in a celebration of unity and acknowledgment of the social justice work they still have to do in their communities.

Indigenous dancers lead the march toward Hiawatha Bridge. pic.twitter.com/lrUEuqJfTd

— Samantha Hendrickson (@samanthajhendr) November 7, 2020

“This [protest] is just an opportunity to celebrate and begin pushing the work for Biden-Harris to start making the changes that we need to see in Minnesota as well as across the nation,” civic engagement coordinator Aaisha Abdullahi said.

Abdullahi works with the Muslim women advocacy nonprofit Reviving Sisterhood to increase voter turnout from the Twin Cities Muslim community. She said Vice President-elect Kamala Harris provides important representation for Black women.

Speakers addressed issues from all walks of activism, both in English and Spanish, with the help of a translator. An American Sign Language interpreter was also present. Issues included police brutality, immigration, environmental justice, rent control and the rights of Indigenous peoples.

Police did not appear to be present. Volunteer marshals blocked off intersections and ensured safety for protesters on the streets.

The march went on for nearly three hours, and the Indigenous group set an upbeat tone for the following protest with drumbeats and traditional dances. Residents emerged from houses and businesses to cheer on or film the march.

Claudia Sanchez flew in to Minneapolis from Atlanta to visit her sister and was having lunch with her nieces and nephews at a nearby taqueria when they heard the march coming down the street.

“I was really excited when I saw what was going on. I’m happy that people are getting together and celebrating unity,” Sanchez said. “We all have a voice, and I feel like it should be heard.”

Protesters are continuing down Lake Street pic.twitter.com/xBUcaph3oV

— Samantha Hendrickson (@samanthajhendr) November 7, 2020

The march eventually ended in Powderhorn Park as protesters sprawled out on the grass to cheer on remaining speakers, including Nadine Little, who said she had been homeless since March 24 and arrested during the city’s clearing of the Powderhorn homeless encampment. She called on the city to support homeless people before Minnesota’s cold winter sets in.

Several public officials attended the event as well, including University of Minnesota-area Council members Cam Gordon and Steve Fletcher.

“What I see is a combination of celebration and resolve as this community sort of works through what the election solved for us, and what we still have as work ahead of us,” Fletcher said. “And people needed to come together and be with each other because this is really what makes our community special.”

Brianna Thomas, a protester who attended the Wednesday rally that ended with 646 protesters cited and released after five hours on Interstate 94, said that she enjoyed attending both protests.

“It was really good to see that many people out there protesting [on Wednesday],” Thomas said. She added that she was nervous at Wednesday’s protest because she did not want to be arrested, but Saturday’s energy was exciting and carefree.

Though some protesters sported pro-Biden apparel and carried Biden-Harris campaign signs, many said that there is still more work to be done for communities.

Erickson Saye, who works for a local nonprofit aiding in voter registration, said that while he thinks Biden’s election is a win, the president-elect is not a “savior for all.”

“There is still more work to be done in marginalized communities for social injustice that is happening everywhere. … This is a victory, but it’s not the end-all, be-all,” Saye said. “We need to continue this effort, continue this work and continue to lift up those voices from those communities that are typically not represented.”

Hundreds of community members rallied by Mayday Books in Cedar-Riverside Wednesday evening before marching in protest of the two presidential candidates, saying that neither represent the community. Throughout the night, more than 600 activists would be surrounded by armed police and arrested after being detained on I-94 for five hours.

Minnesota State Patrol later announced that 646 individuals were cited and released.

The protesters first gathered under the red glow of the Midwest Mountaineering sign. Helicopters hovered overhead.

At 6 p.m., activists passed around signs, water bottles and blasted music, preparing to march against President Donald Trump’s attempt to halt nationwide vote-counting, the COVID-19 response, police brutality and Trump’s immigration policies. Many emphasized that, even though Joe Biden is preferable to Trump, they do not believe he will improve these issues.

By roughly 7:30 p.m., the group moved down Cedar Avenue, joined by residents and cheered on by some local businesses as they prepared to march on the busy highway.

By 7:55 p.m., building signs and the neon glow were replaced with searchlight beams and the lights of police cars, as protesters were penned in on all sides by armed police on foot, on bicycles, on horses and in armored vehicles.

We are surrounded by police pic.twitter.com/cwXGYveysz

— Samantha Hendrickson (@samanthajhendr) November 5, 2020

Protesters had only marched for 20 minutes and were a few hundred feet from exiting when police surrounded them and held them on I-94 for five hours. There were no physical confrontations with police initiated by protesters all night.

At 1:23 a.m., the highway reopened, according to Minnesota State Patrol, as the last protesters were finally processed and arrested.

“It’s outrageous … There was a rally, speakers, then we did a march like we’ve done more than 100 times in the last few months,” said Jess Sundin, member and speaker for Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCCJ4J) and Freedom Road Socialist Organization. “There was nothing more than basic exercise of our First Amendment right.”

TCCJ4J organized the event as part of a national day of protests declared by the Chicago-based National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. More than 30 other advocacy groups, including University of Minnesota student groups, attended the protest, saying that regardless of who wins the election, neither Trump nor Biden truly represents the community.

The protest demands also included “community control” of the Minneapolis police, economic relief for the unemployed, a total freeze on evictions and utility shutoffs, and healthcare for all.

Over the five hour detainment on the freeway, law enforcement seemed to have an ad hoc booking system for protesters: They were escorted outside the police perimeter, zip-tied, given citations and photographed for mug shots by individual officers along the one-fifth mile stretch of highway. Some were allowed to walk away along the closed-off I-94 while others were bussed to different locations in the area.

Press is free to leave, as remaining protesters are arrested. pic.twitter.com/dRqvgyRpG9

— Lydia Morrell (@lydia_morrell) November 5, 2020

While Minnesota State Patrol tweeted that “walking on the freeway is very dangerous for pedestrians and drivers,” Minneapolis officials and others criticized officers’ decision to keep the freeway blocked for five hours when the march was just a few hundred feet away from the off-ramp.

“This overreaction from law enforcement is generating more disturbance and chaos than the protesters who went onto the highway,” tweeted Ward 5 Council member Jeremiah Ellison, who witnessed the situation. Many protesters called various city and state officials, including the governor and the mayor, while trapped.

Current assessment: this overreaction from law enforcement is generating more disturbance and chaos than the protesters who went onto the highway

Letting protesters leave would be the quickest resolution to this incident

— Jeremiah Ellison (@jeremiah4north) November 5, 2020

Law enforcement did not issue a dispersal order for protesters after surrounding them, but immediately announced that they were under arrest for public nuisance and unlawful gathering.

Minnesota State Statute notes that public nuisance is an act that “interferes with” or “obstructs” any public highway, among other definitions.

Minnesota State Patrol also tweeted that “no force or chemicals” were used against protesters. However, Minnesota Public Radio photojournalist Evan Frost photographed an officer macing spectators gathered outside a nearby apartment building.

pic.twitter.com/PSoLb30SFI

— Evan Frost (@efrostee) November 5, 2020

TCCJ4J held a press conference in front of the governor’s mansion Thursday to call for all charges against the 646 cited protesters to be dropped.

Hundreds of officers were present from the State Patrol, Minneapolis Police Department, Metro Transit Police Department and the University of Minnesota Police Department.

According to a University spokesperson, State Patrol called in UMPD, who sent 20 officers to assist with traffic and pedestrian flow, but did not assist in making arrests.

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) led a University of Minnesota protest that started at Superblock and met with the larger group in Cedar-Riverside.

“Our community is crying and begging for help,” SDS member and first-year University student Jalisa Sang said. “This is our role because … people in the government of Minneapolis are not taking control, even our own Joan Gabel, Board of Regents and the University of Minnesota are not taking actions to protect students on campus.”

Even as protesters were zip-tied and hauled away on buses later that night, the mood remained upbeat, and the protesters danced as the leading van blasted songs like “The Electric Slide” and “This Is America.”

Protesters dance to the electric slide on i-94. pic.twitter.com/13nxQOHD1Y

— Samantha Hendrickson (@samanthajhendr) November 5, 2020

Leaders encouraged protesters over megaphones to stay together throughout the event, reminding them that they were stronger together and as a community.

“We haven’t had any support that we need, the justice that we need for our communities,” Hodo Dahir, a protester, said. “If we get arrested, we got arrested for the right thing.”