Minneapolis, MN
U of M Palestine protest resolution vetoed by Minneapolis Mayor Frey
11 protesters arrested at University of Minnesota
Nearly a dozen protesters are being held in Hennepin County Jail on probable cause riot, trespassing and damage to property after occupying a hall at the University of Minnesota to stage a protest for Palestine.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A resolution for support that also called for dropping charges against protesters of Palestinian rights who vandalized Morrill Hall at the University of Minnesota in October has been vetoed by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
What happened
11 protesters were arrested on Oct. 21, 2024, after occupying Morrill Hall on the University of Minnesota campus as part of a rally for Palestine.
The protesters were part of a group that assembled in the plaza above the Coffman Memorial Union before pushing into Morrill Hall.
Inside, police said the group spray-painted security cameras, broke interior windows, and barricaded the entrances.
Isabella Harbison, 23, was charged with fourth-degree assault by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office in connection to the event.
Call of support
At its Dec. 5 meeting, the Minneapolis City Council approved a resolution, “expressing solidarity with nonviolent campus activism opposing war and supporting Palestinian human rights” by a vote of 7-6.
The resolution also urged the university and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office to drop charges against the protestors arrested, and charged, during the Oct. 21
“The stated goal of urging the University of Minnesota to divest from the State of Israel and Israeli academic institutions as part of a global movement of nonviolent economic strategies to protect Palestinian human rights,” the resolution reads.
Frey veto
In a letter explaining his action to veto Resolution 2024R-430, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said that non-violent protest was a fundamental right as a form of free speech, “what occurred on Oct. 21, at Morrill Hall… was neither peaceful nor protected speech.”
The letter went on to claim that protesters caused property damage that exceeded $67,000, and that there was, “no First Amendment right to damage property, break windows, barricade doors, and endanger people’s safety… Simply put, when people engage in these actions, no matter what they are protesting, they break the law and there are consequences.”
The letter went on to claim that “the Council has taken a position simply because it aligns with a cause they support, rather than the basic principles of law.”
“If individuals opposed to abortion had engaged in the same disruptive, unlawful actions, or if members of the National Rifle Association had taken over a building, would the Council stand behind them with the same resolution? We all know the answer,” the letter says.
Frey notes that the “lack of consistency sets a dangerous precedent and sends a message that illegal and violent conduct is not only tolerated, but praised – as long as it conforms to the Council’s preferences.”
The city council can now attempt to override Frey’s veto, which would require a supermajority vote of 9-3 among its members.
The Source: FOX 9 reviewed Minneapolis City Council documents and a veto letter from the Office of Mayor Jacob Frey for information contained in this story.
The scene of the crash at 26th Avenue North and Emerson Avenue North in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis woman was sentenced for her role in a deadly crash that killed two women and injured two other people in December 2024.
READ MORE: Minneapolis woman charged in fatal high-speed crash faces additional charges
Woman sentenced in fatal Minneapolis crash
Big picture view:
Prosecutors say Teniki Steward drove a Buick Enclave into a bus shelter and a Ford Explorer after speeding through a red light.
Both of the women in the Ford Explorer died in the crash. They were identified as 53-year-old Ester Jean Fulks and 57-year-old Rose Elaine Reece.
During the crash, the Ford Explorer went off the road, injuring a 17-year-old boy who was waiting for a school bus.
The passenger in Steward’s vehicle also suffered injuries.
Minneapolis police said that Steward was also injured in the crash.
Steward pleaded guilty to multiple murder charges.
What they’re saying:
During the sentencing, the daughter of one of the victims had a statement read on her behalf:
“There’s nothing that can truly prepare you for the moment your entire world is taken from you. Losing my mom has left a pain in my heart that words will never be able to explain.”
What’s next:
Minnesota law requires that Steward serves at least two-thirds of her sentence, a bit under eight-and-a-half years, in prison.
Fatal Emerson and 26th crash
The backstory:
According to the criminal complaint, through surveillance videos from the scene of the crash and witnesses, investigators learned that Steward, driving the Buick Enclave, had been driving at a high rate of speed northbound on Emerson Avenue North.
Before the fatal crash, Steward sped through the intersection of Emerson Avenue North and Broadway Avenue North, running a red light and nearly causing a crash, the charges said.
Steward then continued to speed northbound down Emerson Avenue North, and ran another red light at 26th Avenue North, hitting the Ford Explorer, which was traveling eastbound, according to the complaint.
The Ford Explorer had been at the intersection of Emerson and 26th on a green light.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty shared the following statement:
“This was an egregious act that took Rose and Esther’s lives and injured a child waiting to go to school at a bus stop. Ms. Steward was driving at extremely dangerous speeds on city streets and narrowly avoided multiple collisions before the incident occurred. Third-degree murder charges are appropriate to hold her accountable and protect our community.”
The Source: This story uses information gathered from an Olmsted County court appearance and previous FOX 9 reporting.
A motorcyclist is dead after an early morning crash in Minneapolis Friday morning.
The Minnesota State Patrol said that at 1:20 a.m., a Suzuki Motorcycle going north on I-35W at Johnson Street hit the left side of the median guard rail.
The motorcycle continued north for about another quarter mile before coming to a rest on the right-hand side.
State Patrol said the rider came to rest on the left shoulder. He was later identified as 21-year-old Andrew James Neuberger.
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – The Rochester Spartans boys volleyball team played its second game on consecutive nights. The Spartans beat Minneapolis Camden 3-0.
Rochester’s next game will be Tuesday, April 21, at St. Anthony Village at 7:00 p.m.
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