Minneapolis, MN
Red Dragon, beloved Uptown Minneapolis restaurant, closing after nearly half a century
MINNEAPOLIS — The menu offers plenty of options, but fans of the Red Dragon say they’ll miss how the restaurant really nourished their souls.
“It feels like family,” patron Kathleen Spitzer told WCCO. “Everybody — the servers and bartenders — are so nice. It feels like a home away from home.”
Red Dragon’s current owner, Phil Wong, said the restaurant and bar will shut down on Sunday after nearly 50 years in business; it first opened on Dec. 29, 1976.
“People love this place. They like to come here and drink and hang out,” Wong lamented. “I love them all. They show a lot of love to us and they enjoy our establishment.”
According to Wong, 73, finances and his longevity were contributing factors. The former engineer took over the business from his brother in 2007.
“It costs a little bit more — the food, the meat, the vegetables,” he added. “Minneapolis, too, the minimum wage went up.”
Still, Wong said he leaves with no regrets.
“I feel good about it. I think it’s time to move on,” he said. “We’re ending on a good note.”
Red Dragon is the latest of several Twin Cities eateries to shutter in 2024, including the St. Paul staple Tavern on Grand. Even newer restaurants, like Kim’s from award-winning chef Ann Kim, also in Uptown, could not survive.
Minneapolis, MN
Bystanders throw snowballs at ICE agents dragging woman on the ground in Minneapolis – video
US federal agents were filmed dragging a woman and pinning her down in the snow for several minutes in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Monday. Bystanders pleaded with the agents to let the woman go and threw snowballs at them. The Minneapolis police chief, Brian O’Hara, criticised the ICE tactics after the incident
Minneapolis, MN
‘She’s pregnant’: Trump’s immigration agent drags woman through Minneapolis street, kneels on her; video goes viral
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents violently dragged a woman in Minneapolis this week, and pinned her face down on snow-filled streets as onlookers screamed. According to ICE officials, they were deployed for ‘targeted vehicle stop,’ when protesters swarmed the agents. Soon after several onlookers including journalists saw an ICE agent holding a woman on the ground. The video of the incident has now gone viral on social media with people criticising ICE for their violent methods. The Minneapolis police chief criticised federal immigration enforcement tactics after the chaotic scene.
What exactly happened?
According to the video, ICE agents handcuffed a pregnant woman, and violently pinned her to the ground by forcing her onto her stomach and pressed their body weight into her even as the crowd shouted that she was pregnant. According to ICE, the incident happened during ‘Operation Metro Surge.’
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said that ICE did not appear to take steps to de-escalate the situation as bystanders shouted at agents and threw snowballs in an attempt to save the woman. “We have been training our officers for the last five years very, very intensely on de-escalation, but unfortunately that is … often not what we are seeing from other agencies in the city,” O’Hara said. O’Hara also accused ICE of stoking fear, including the practice of hiding their identities with masks and unmarked clothes.
This comes as US President Donald Trump’s administration has increased immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities of Minnesota – Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Trump called Somali immigrants there “garbage” and said they should be deported after dozens of people, including Somali immigrants, were charged in a fraud scheme.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara expressed concerns about the “instability” created by the ongoing ICE operations in Minneapolis during a sit-down interview on FOX 9 All Day on Wednesday.
O’Hara on ICE operation
What they’re saying:
Speaking with FOX 9’s Amy Hockert, Chief O’Hara said the issue isn’t necessarily what the agents are doing in enforcing federal law but rather the tactics they are using to go about their business.
“I think it’s been very destabilizing for a lot of people in the community,” explained Chief O’Hara. “A significant portion of the city are immigrants and that sort of instability is something that criminals and bad actors can take advantage of and that’s been the concern.”
Identifying ICE
Big picture view:
O’Hara says he is also concerned about masked federal authorities. Often, ICE agents will be masked, in unmarked squads, and not wearing visible identification of their law enforcement status. Chief O’Hara said a bad actor posing as law enforcement is a legitimate concern, pointing to the murders of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband at the hands of a man posing as a police officer.
“Two or three months ago, the FBI put out a law enforcement bulletin saying that there were people committing violent crimes in cities around the country that were posing as ICE,” O’Hara said. “And it urged ICE to better identify themselves during law enforcement operations. And so that’s not just something I came up with – that’s something the FBI has been recommending.”
O’Hara says the department has also responded to calls from people who’ve encountered federal law enforcement and were unsure if they were legitimate.
“We have had calls from people who aren’t sure,” said O’Hara. “We’ve responded, and it turns out it was federal law enforcement. In other cases, it turns out it wasn’t. It was someone with a gun. We’ve had it happen both ways.”
Former Montana Heritage Commission director sentenced in embezzlement scheme
Husker Fans flock to NCAA Volleyball final four despite no Nebraska
California school district near Nevada caught up in a dispute over transgender athlete policies – WTOP News
Police: Brown Univ. shooting suspect identified, found dead in New Hampshire
White Christmas in the Philadelphia region this year? Cecily Tynan breaks down our chances
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Video: Trump Mocks Obama, Biden in His Presidential ‘Walk of Fame’
Trump quietly signs sweeping $901B defense bill after bipartisan Senate passage
Mercosur signature delayed to January after Meloni asks for more time
Is ISIS making a comeback? : Sources & Methods
Texas Republicans launch ‘Sharia Free America Caucus’ aimed at defending ‘Western civilization’
-
Iowa4 days agoAddy Brown motivated to step up in Audi Crooks’ absence vs. UNI
-
Washington1 week agoLIVE UPDATES: Mudslide, road closures across Western Washington
-
Iowa6 days agoHow much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals
-
Maine2 days agoElementary-aged student killed in school bus crash in southern Maine
-
Maryland4 days agoFrigid temperatures to start the week in Maryland
-
Technology1 week agoThe Game Awards are losing their luster
-
South Dakota5 days agoNature: Snow in South Dakota
-
Nebraska1 week agoNebraska lands commitment from DL Jayden Travers adding to early Top 5 recruiting class