Data Request to MN Fusion Center
June 5th, 2020
Last Friday, Alan and I were on errands, and we stopped at Lisu’s Thai Taste (oh, I miss being able to go up there regularly!), and saw a bearcat sitting on the 80th St. overpass of Hwy. 61 in Cottage Grove and grabbed this photo (3 p.m. May 29, 2002):
Facing us, and the bearcat, was this:
We were on our way back home, with stop for picnic in Hastings. As we arrived at the riverside park, we saw a law enforcement boat (sheriff? It was red, couldn’t read the side) motoring up the Mississippi at a high rate of speed. WHAT IS GOING ON? So I fired up the phone, and saw on a Red Wing list claims that “rioters are heading our way,” that “THE BLACK PANTHERS ARE COMING!” and “they’re coming to burn down the Cottage Grove High School, Chauvin went there!” What? Yeah, really. Later there was an alert distributed by Red Wing Police Dept. saying there was a “credible threat” and that people should stay away from the protest scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, and this notion of a “credible threat” was confirmed by more than one City Council member.
My red flags went up, false flag detectors bending the needle. I did some calling around, because no one who had posted this crap knew anything about it, they didn’t source before posting. Stores were closed in Cottage Grove, Target was closing all their metro stores, Menards hadn’t closed yet, and the guy who answered at Menards, which was closing in an hour, was utterly freaked, that “thousands of rioters were coming to Cottage Grove,” and “they’re going to burn down the high school because Chauvin went there” (again) (did he? and why would anyone care decades later?). Had a rational conversation with someone from the sheriff’s office, the bearcat was out there due to the rumors “with utmost caution,” but I heard an undercurrent of “good grief, what are people thinking” in the mix.
I’ve sent in this Data Practices Act Request, because the rumors and “alerts” and “credible threats,” well, they aren’t credible — I mean really, 70-75,000 agitators on the road to the Metro? Out-state communities filled with rumors of THOUSANDS OF RIOTERS deemed credible threat? Who would believe such crap, and who is spreading this around and why? Who benefits from this?
UPDATED: Sheriff says credible threats were received Saturday; state Rep. Grossell takes part in citizen patrol
Walz sending national guard to Minnesota’s western border due to ‘credible threat’
From Unicorn Riot, looking into the workings and ties to Minnesota Fusion Center:
E.O. 13925 Preventing Online Censorship
June 3rd, 2020
Here he is trying to frame fact-checks and twit blocks that expose his Liar-in-Chief ways as “censorship.” Good grief…
And what does this Executive Order really mean? Here’s the “Public Inspection” version, released just before it’s official:
70,000 – 75,000 agitators?
June 2nd, 2020
Where on earth to they get the idea that there would be 70-75 THOUSAND people coming in? Boogalooers aren’t that many. They’re LOUD but few.
This kind of thing also fans the rumor mill flames, like the yahoos in Cottage Grove saying “THE BLACK PANTHERS ARE COMING” and that “rioters are coming to burn down the Cottage Grove High School because Chauvin went there!” Do you really think that anyone gives a rodent’s rump where Chauvin went to high school? People saying “rioters are coming to Red Wing on Saturday!” Let’s have a little sense, critical thinking, sourcing, and reflection.
Protest v. boogaloo
May 29th, 2020
Minnesota is destabilized and burning. Who benefits from the chaos? Who benefits from the destruction?
Police Chief: Much of the riot damage caused by those from outside Minneapolis
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey calls Minneapolis unrest ‘unacceptable’; President Donald Trump promises action
Trump? Action? “Any difficulty and we will assume control…” WHAT? NO! STAY AWAY!
But wait, even twitter thought that was a bit much — how about just deleting this maniac’s account:
Anyway, who are these outsiders?
Right-Wing ‘Race War” Wannabees Could Make George Floyd Protests Go Nuclear
After seeing Unicorn Riot interview the guy with the big gun roaming the street at the 3rd Precinct protest Wednesday, after seeing the “Umbrella Guy” breaking windows, and seeing the boogaloo flag by the AutoZone and screenshots of their twits and fb groups, methinks they’ve already “gone nuclear.”
Far-right ‘boogaloo’ militants have embedded themselves in the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis: ‘They want their civil war’
Some background:
The Boogaloo Movement Is Not What You Think
After seeing the 4th Precinct shooting, this is not far-fetched:
Scarsella rebuffed by MN S.Ct. July 31st, 2019
For the pre-shooting video:
REVEALED: Accused Minneapolis shooters fascinated with guns, militia groups and the Confederacy
Minneapolis burning
May 28th, 2020
Minneapolis is burning, and it’s been smoldering for quite a while. I just woke up after a rough night of long-distance watching the livestreams, as I’m sure you have, and your thoughtfulness this morning has eased my headache.
As Jim Bernstein (can we have you back in Commerce, please?!?) said on the Mpls yak-yak list, “I intensely dislike the looting and vandalism but I must admit I am not angry about it; I reserve that anger for the Minneapolis Police officers and their stone cold silence. I believe the looting and smashing of police vehicles is of no consequence when measured against four police officers participating in the killing of a citizen and acting as if nothing of consequence happened.” In the context of looting and vandalism, after watching hours of police on top of and surrounding 3rd Precinct firing rubber bullets, flashbangs and teargas indiscriminately directly at people standing quietly, pepper-spraying those within reach, most with hands in the air, the violence started not long after the 3rd person (reported, but were there more) was hit in the head. The actions of the police were offensive, there was no effort at deescalation. Over the interwebs, it looked like retribution and retaliation for the firing of the 4 cops.
I had hopes for Arradondo’s term as Chief, but his words and demeanor in recent press conferences, and those of Mayor Frey, are not consistent with behavior of police I saw yesterday. Yes, they need to be leaders, and it takes more than words — where were they yesterday when police were picking off and inciting demonstrators? Who benefits from the violence? Google Bob Kroll, and there he is in his “Police for Trump” T-shirt on stage at the Minneapolis Trump rally. The U.S. is deeply divided and obscenely partisan. Blue Minneapolis, and Minnesota too, are now destabilized and in eruption. A look at fb will show a far different perception than the words in this thread. Who benefits from the violence? Who benefits from destabilization?
We’re on or over the precipice of change, and while we may have little or no influence, we’ve got to work on the type of change, the result, the landing. We have another chance to rebuild our society, to rebuild as we’ve failed to do before. It’s not “just” racism, but our economic system as well. Those of us with privilege have a lot of work to do, but what? Damned if I know.
The “easy” part is to push for swift prosecution of the murderer and his accomplices. Another “easy” part is to push MPD on the Department of Justice recommendations. The harder part is beyond the MPD, to the systemic change that we have for centuries refused to do. I have no clue how to get to “liberty and justice for all.” The realization that we weren’t there hit this impressionable kid hard while saying the Pledge one winter day back in 4th grade at Armatage, reinforced doing gruntwork in the Harry Davis for Mayor campaign, and my first hearing testimony to the School Board about desegregation of Minneapolis Public Schools and the fierce and ugly resistance to bussing. 50+ years of life since then has taught me that advocating has to do with visible, public action, with “choices” in day to day life, and fervent participation, that’s nothing new. But equality, equity? Demanding equity does not make it so. That change will not come easily. Those of us on the privileged end of things have an obligation and responsibility that many of us are already well aware of and have been working on for a long time — but what to do now?
Suggestions welcome, please!!!
p.s. Yesterday while watching Unicorn Riot, I was reminded of the trucker’s strike at that same location ~90 years ago. My father lived nearby and told stories of running through the streets evading bullets flying. Meridel LeSuer’s account, “What Happens in a Strike,” is worth rereading today.
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And this white guy agent-provocateur, he was seen breaking the windows of AutoZone:
