In response to the Tribune editorial board’s editorial on Monday, you didn’t report whether any of you visited the Black Lives Matter protest site in North Minneapolis on Plymouth Avenue. Were any of you there at any time? I was there to join the BLM protest. This was the day before a hate crime was committed by terrorists — not by “outsiders” as you imply. Five people will suffer lifelong emotional and physical suffering. Imagine being shot by a terrorist.

You report there are signs. Yes, I saw the signs. The signs I saw were in solidarity with the protest. Because law enforcement officers are also proud union members, I’ll guess they are in full support of those who — like me (also a union member) — show solidarity with issues they strongly believe in.

You report there are chants. In all of the protests I have been in I don’t recall a single one where there have not been chants. I heard chants, speeches, listened to discussions, there was some singing, and all of this was not “spoken to their [law enforcement officer] faces,” as you imply. Nothing there was too upsetting to law enforcement.

I saw children and their families, adolescents, adults of all ages and basically just people. Nothing too upsetting there for law enforcement.

I saw people bringing food, tents, firewood, money and other donations to the protesters who stay and occupy the spaces in front of the police station. Nothing there too upsetting to law enforcement.

Of course we were all upset about an unarmed young black man being shot in the face, taken to the hospital, put on life support, a doctor telling the family their child, brother, friend was brain dead, the true horror surrounding the mother’s decision to stop life support and then death. No “tidbit” there.

Shame on the editorial board for your crass and insensitive judgement of the BLM protest and it’s crime victims. One other thing. Did you imply that the BLM protestors are “anarchists?”

 

Ted Hinnenkamp

Albert Lea