Black Lives Matter cancels event protest

Published 2:59 pm Saturday, February 27, 2016

ST. PAUL — Organizers for Black Lives Matter St. Paul have canceled a planned protest at Saturday’s Red Bull Crashed Ice event.

The group said Friday that it met with Mayor Chris Coleman and believes its demands have been addressed.

Coleman released a statement saying he respects the right of everyone to exercise free speech, but the protest would have created a volatile situation for the more than 100,000 expected spectators and protesters.

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The group’s demands included the firing of St. Paul police Sgt. Jeffrey Rothecker over a Facebook comment about running over protesters. Rothecker has since resigned, but the group had said previously that the protest would continue if other demands weren’t met.