Minneapolis (AP) – Dozens of demonstrators converged Tuesday in the heart of the Latin American community of Minneapolis after a great strength of federal and local authorities bearing tactical equipment led what they called an action in application of the law.
The demonstrators flocked to the region near a Mexican restaurant and other Latin-Latino companies immigration raid was underway, reflecting the opposition to such raids in a city that has declared himself sanctuary For migrants. However, the declarations of local authorities said it was not a case of application of immigration, but a criminal case.
“While we are still gathering details, this incident was linked to a mandate of criminal search for drugs and money laundering and was not linked to the application of immigration,” said Mayor Jacob Frey in an article on Facebook shortly after police action. “No arrest has been made.”
But several dozen demonstrators stayed at the intersection occupied by federal agents a few hours earlier, using cars to block traffic. Some panels have owned signs saying “abolish ice” and “stop the deportations”.
A driver crossed the crowd. At least one person seemed to have been overturned to the ground but stood up and said they were fine. The demonstrators deflated the tires of the car; Police moved in to take the driver and a fight entered. At least one man was placed in police custody.
The spectator’s video has shown that the officers wore logos of local agency but also federal surveys, including the FBI and surveys on internal security. An armored vehicle on the scene carried the initials of internal security surveys. The Minneapolis police chief was also present.
Michelle Gross, president of local communities United Against Police Brutality Group, said that the strength show seemed designed to “terrorize people in submission”.
“It’s a Jackboote boost, and we don’t have it in our city,” she said.
Onlooker Jennifer Davila, who works in the community, said it was already in advance because of the raids. It’s a bit united and “if something happens, we know it,” she said.
“They had a white van, a black van and a reservoir. For a raid, it’s quite excessive,” said Davila. “And then enter a brown community and do this, because we have all kinds of immigrants, not just Latinos.”
While the mayor said that there had been no arrests, some demonstrators were at least temporarily detained as the tensions developed between the crowd and the police officers. A public radio photographer from Minnesota was pulverized with pepper and had his camera break.
A Facebook publication of the Sheriff’s Office said that it “joined federal agencies on a criminal investigation and that part of this survey included the execution of several search mandates in several locations in the metropolitan region.”
Frey said the only role of the police service was to help control the crowds and that the department was not involved in “everything related to the application of immigration”. The Sheriff Police Service and Offices have policies against cooperation with immigration implementation measures.
The sheriff’s office said that by conducting criminal investigations, “we work regularly with federal partners.” A local FBI spokesperson Diana Freedman refused a text message to provide details on the operation.
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The writers of the Associated Press Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, Southern Dakota, and John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, contributed to the reports.
