Minnesota
Minneapolis City Council urges amnesty for pro-Palestinian protesters at U. of Minnesota
University of Minnesota students filled the Minneapolis City Council meeting room Tuesday and successfully lobbied a narrow majority of council members to urge authorities to back off discipline and charges against protesters opposing the Israel-Hamas war.
By a 7-5 vote, council members, meeting as a committee, approved a resolution “expressing solidarity with nonviolent campus activism opposing war and supporting Palestinian human rights” and urging the university to rescind all discipline against students involved in an October protest. It also asks prosecutors to back off any criminal charges against the protesters.
The U disputes that all the protesters were nonviolent.
The resolution goes to the full council on Thursday and, if passed, then to Mayor Jacob Frey, who released a statement Tuesday night saying he’ll veto the resolution because while he supports First Amendment rights, that doesn’t extend to actions that endanger the safety of others.
“The council’s resolution risks setting a disturbing precedent that must apply to all groups evenly regardless of the cause they are protesting,” Frey said. “It is concerning to me that any council member could view this as acceptable, and I will veto the resolution without hesitation.”
At Tuesday’s meeting, students and professors held signs and wore T-shirts in support of the protesters and dismay at the university’s reaction to an October 21 protest where several hundred pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered and about a dozen were arrested after barricading Morrill Hall, the site of the Twin Cities campus administrative offices.
Council urges university to drop penalties
During the protest, Students for a Democratic Society used patio furniture to create barricades, covering the building’s front windows, as part of their push for the university to divest from companies with ties to Israel.
University officials say protesters spray-painted security cameras, broke interior windows, and barricaded entrances and exits, trapping staffers for “an extended period of time.” University police and Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested at least 11 protesters soon after.
The resolution was sponsored by Council Member Robin Wonsley, who said campus activism has been crucial to many movements, including the civil rights movement.
“Nearly all of these nonviolent protests were criminalized and repressed at the time but are now widely celebrated and praised for taking bold and necessary action to achieve social change,” she said.
Wonsley accused the university of trying to criminalize student protesters by evicting them from student housing, suspending them for up to 2½ years and making them pay up to $5,000 in restitution in one case.
Juliet Murphy of Students for a Democratic Society said seven of eight student protesters who were arrested and jailed were recently told they could be suspended for one to five semesters, be ordered to do 20 hours of community service and have to write a five- to 10-page essay on the difference between protest and vandalism. Murphy said one was told they would have to pay $5,636 in restitution in order to be readmitted to the university.
A university spokesman said federal and state privacy laws prevent the university from confirming or commenting on any specifics related to individual student discipline.
The City Council resolution urges the university to rescind all academic charges, suspensions, fines, and evictions and instead work with the group to accomplish their goals. It also urges city and county attorneys to drop or not pursue criminal charges against the protesters.
A spokesman for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said only one person had been charged by that office in connection with the protest: a fourth-degree assault charge for spitting at a police officer. All the other cases were referred back to the police for additional investigation but haven’t been resubmitted for possible charges.
“Protesting at the University of Minnesota has a rich history, as the City Council states, and individuals safely exercising their freedom of speech are to be commended,” a statement by the office said.
U President Rebecca Cunningham has said the incident was not a peaceful protest, because “These actions crossed the line into illegal activity when they actively threatened the emotional and physical safety of our employees, prevented their free movement, disrupted building operations and destroyed campus property.”
In a Tuesday social media post, University of Minnesota Regent James Farnsworth accused Wonsley of making “a number of factual errors and misstatements” during the council meeting.
“As I’ve previously stated, peaceful and respectful protest/demonstration are cornerstone to a university campus,” he wrote. “That was not what took place in October.”
The students chose Morrill Hall because of its history as a site for activism: In 1969, 70 Black students occupied the building in a peaceful 24-hour protest against institutional racism.
U Associate Professor Sima Shakhsari, speaking as a private citizen, joined the students at the council meeting and said afterward that Morrill Hall has been the site of over ten occupations, and this is the harshest punishment the university has handed down. Some protesters spent more than 40 hours in jail before being released without charges, Shakhsari said.
“When it comes to Palestine, our students are marked as terrorists,” Shakhsari said. “The students have been punished enough.”
The resolution passed the Committee of the Whole — which comprises the full council — by a vote of 7-5 and was supported by Council Members Wonsley, Jason Chavez, Aurin Chowdhury, Jeremiah Ellison, and Jamal Osman, as well as Council President Elliott Payne and Council Vice President Aisha Chughtai.
It was opposed by Council Members Michael Rainville, LaTrisha Vetaw, Katie Cashman, Emily Koski and Linea Palmisano.
Council Member Andrea Jenkins was absent.
Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists, and Ryan Hartman had a goal and an assist for the Wild, who are the No. 3 seed in the Central Division. Wallstedt made 27 saves in his Stanley Cup Playoff debut, and Zuccarello had three assists.
“I was definitely nervous,” said Wallstedt, a rookie. “I think it shows that it means something to you. I like a little bit of nerves. I think it’s something good. There were definitely some nerves throughout the day and then a little bit extra rolling into the game. But after the national anthem was over and the first couple pucks started coming, you’re good.
“I wanted to play and I felt like I have been going good. I was a little surprised (to get the start). But I was very excited as soon as I got the news. I just wanted to make sure I was ready today.”
Jason Robertson scored, and Jake Oettinger made 23 saves for the Stars, who are the No. 2 seed in the Central.
“We didn’t deserve to win,” Dallas forward Mikko Rantanen said. “I think two power-play goals for them, two a little-bit bounces for them where we had guys in the right spot. Just even keel. Playoffs are like this. Sometimes you lose a game, you can feel like you’re done. But that’s the mentality you need to have, you’ve got to reset and learn from mistakes.
“First 30 minutes, we didn’t win enough battles. They were just that little bit stronger in the battles and that’s why they were able to make us defend more than we want to. Just got to be stronger.”
Game 2 is here on Monday (9:30 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, Victory+, ESPN, TVAS2, SN360).
“We prepped for a couple days coming into this one. Now, we will gather information from this game and continue to move forward,” Minnesota coach John Hynes said. “For me, it’s game to game and day to day. We want to continue to get better. We won and they [Dallas] lost. It’s not so much being satisfied where you’re at or that’s what it is. We need to continue to find ways to get better.”
Eriksson Ek gave the Wild a 1-0 lead at 5:35 of the first period on the power play. He scored on a one-timer from the left hash marks to finish a tic-tac-toe passing play with Zuccarello and Boldy, who found an open Eriksson Ek with a pass from the goal line.
“I think every team in the playoffs talks about not getting too high or too low. Just enjoy every day and each game and then we will go from there,” Eriksson Ek said. “I think we played pretty good today. The next game is a new game, so we just have to do it over and over every game. We know they are probably not the happiest with that game, so I am sure it’s going to be hard next game.”
Minnesota prosecutors charged a federal immigration agent with assault accusing him of involvement in a February road-rage incident.
Trump administration ends Minnesota immigration operation
Border Czar Tom Homan announced the end of Minnesota’s immigration operation after fatal shootings heightened tension and community backlash.
Minnesota prosecutors charged a federal immigration agent with assault, saying the agent was involved in a February road-rage incident during the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., 35, faces two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, according to April 16 Hennepin County court records. He has a nationwide warrant for his arrest.
On Feb. 5, prosecutors said Morgan allegedly drove illegally on the shoulder of a congested Minnesota highway in an unmarked SUV and pointed his weapon at two people in another car.
Morgan is the first agent charged in Operation Metro Surge, the controversial Minneapolis-area federal immigration operation that resulted in two American citizens fatally shot by federal officials, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
The charges “reflect an important milestone in our efforts to seek accountability for the harms inflicted on our community during Operation Metro Surge,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in an April 16 video statement.
Second-degree assault with a gun has a presumptive sentence of 36 months in prison if convicted, she said.
“Mr. Morgan’s conduct was extremely dangerous,” she said, adding his actions could have led to “another disastrous incident” in the community.
Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security immediately responded to email requests for comment. A cell phone listed for Morgan, identified as a Maryland resident, didn’t immediately respond to a call or text message.
The incident came less than two weeks after two Customs and Border Protection officers shot and killed Alex Pretti, 37, during a protest in Minneapolis. Pretti would be the second American killed during Metro Surge after an ICE agent in early January fatally shot Renee Good, 37, while she drove her SUV in Minneapolis near an immigration operation.
Later in February, the Trump administration drew down Metro Surge, which officials called the largest immigration operation in modern American history.
Investigators said they interviewed Morgan, who identified himself as the driver. Morgan told investigators he and the other ICE employee were returning from a surveillance shift. Morgan said he feared for his life and others’ safety, so he pulled up alongside the vehicle and drew his Glock 19 firearm. He said he identified himself as police.
State investigators said neither Morgan nor the other ICE agent reported the incident to an ICE supervisor.
The April 16 warrant, signed by District Court Judge Paul Scoggin, said there was a “substantial likelihood” Morgan would fail to respond to a summons, and officials couldn’t locate him.
On April 18, Daniel Borgertpoepping, a spokesperson for the county attorney’s office, said there is no knowledge of Morgan being arrested yet.
Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@usatoday.com or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
Reds’ Brandon Williamson talks Minnesota homecoming, beating Twins
Cincinnati Reds lefty Brandon Williamson pitched into the sixth inning to beat his home-state Minnesota Twins 2-1 in his first pro start in Minnesota.
MINNEAPOLIS – Brandon Williamson came to this ballpark as a kid, rooted for Joe Mauer and the Twins, maybe even dreamed a little of playing there one day.
“Oh, yeah. Joe Ma,” Williamson said. “That’s my guy.”
By the time that day came, Mauer had a statue outside the stadium, and Williamson had 29 career starts across three big-league seasons for the Cincinnati Reds.
And then the kid from tiny Trimont, Minnesota, came up big enough to beat the Twins in his first professional start in his home state – a 2-1 victory Friday in front of 200 or more personal friends and family from Trimont. And about 31,000 other people.
“It was awesome,” said Williamson, whose personal contingent at the game represented close to one-third of greater Trimont (pop. 705). “It was everything I thought it would be.”
The left-hander didn’t pitch especially deep into the game, getting two batters into the sixth. But on a night made for native Minnesotans, with a game-time temperature of 43 degrees, Williamson looked right at, well, home, pitching to the conditions and setting down the first six batters he faced – and eight of the first nine.
As one local press box wag quipped during the second inning, “These Minnesota boys know how to pitch in the cold.”
A pair of one-out runs in the fourth inning provided the scoring for a Reds team lineup still trying to break free from its early season woes – albeit with the twin obstacles of the weather and All-Star starter Joe Ryan’s presence on the mound for the Twins for the first six innings.
The only two hits off Ryan were doubles in the fourth by Elly De La Cruz and Eugenio Suárez, sandwiched around a throwing error by third baseman Ryan Kreidler. Suárez’s hit drove in two.
The only run against Williamson scored after he inexplicably followed four strong innings with three consecutive walks to open the fifth, including a four-pitch walk to No. 8 hitter Brooks Lee leading off the inning.
Austin Martin followed the three freebies with a sacrifice fly on a dying liner to the gap in right that Will Benson caught with a slide.
Williamson then rallied to get Luke Keaschall on an inning-ending, 5-4-3 double play started by Suárez, who got the rare start at third base.
“I thought he handled himself really good,” manager Terry Francona said. “He looked like he was having fun pitching. I know he didn’t like walking the bases loaded. But he looked like he was enjoying himself out there. I like that when guys are enjoying competing; then we’re OK.”
Williamson also left the bases loaded in the third after a hit batter and two-out single followed by a walk. He struck out Keaschall on a called third strike that was confirmed after Keaschall challenged.
“I could have kissed whoever was running the ABS,” Williamson said.
The Reds improved to 12-8 and remained tied for first place in the National League Central after their third win in four games – the second in that stretch by a 2-1 score.“That was cool,” said closer Emilio Pagán, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save in his first outing since experiencing hamstring tightness Tuesday.
“I don’t have a team in my home state (of South Carolina),” Pagán said, “so I don’t know what that feels like. But to pitch against probably his favorite team growing up in front of that many friends and family had to be a surreal feeling. And he handled it great.”
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