Minneapolis Police Sweep West Powderhorn Encampment, Pepper Spray Defenders
Minneapolis, MN – On August 14, 2020, Minneapolis Police along with the Park Police pepper sprayed houseless advocates while doing a sweep of the West Powderhorn Sanctuary tent encampment. Tents were bulldozed in scenes reminiscent of July 20 clearing of East Powderhorn.
Hours before severe thunderstorms touched down in Minneapolis, authorities destroyed the property and shelter of people deemed to be in violation of the Minneapolis Park Board ‘temporary encampment permit’ rules. Dozens of sanctuary defenders were unsuccessful in their attempts to prevent the clearing of tents.
Really, @GovTimWalz? Because it looks like people at Powderhorn West are being bulldozed out of their homes right now — or do they not count as people? Do tents not count as home? https://t.co/8hN0BVFiAL pic.twitter.com/ERMRH4FHrT
— Minneapolis Sanctuary Movement (@mplssanctuary) August 14, 2020
This comes two days after city workers were seemingly thwarted from their eviction attempt in Peavey Park. Peavey Park was threatened with eviction on Friday as well and around 50 defenders were present at the park. No sweep was attempted.
We held cops back, held the line of tents, and physically stopped the bulldozer from being dropped off the trailer. Cops and bulldozer gone, tents still here. So fucking proud of this city for showing up. https://t.co/SGTcljGbfN
— Lauren Josephine 🌹 (@YoLarryJohnson) August 12, 2020
After the police left Powderhorn, a 40mm blunt impact projectile, made by Defense Technology, was dropped in the grass by a Minneapolis Police officer in charge of crowd control.
We chased out the police from Powderhorn, only after they pepper sprayed us and shot projectiles at us. Trying to help re-home everyone now. We need tents and supplies for new parks after police bulldozed belongings. Please help Minneapolis.
Paypal:
[email protected] https://t.co/slgYNGM1iU pic.twitter.com/aOkYOsuvhq— Lauren Josephine 🌹 (@YoLarryJohnson) August 14, 2020
The Minneapolis Police used their Twitter account to state that their officers have “played no part in any enforcement actions at any park sites. The Minneapolis Police Department’s Homeless and Vulnerable Population Unit has consulted with the Minneapolis Park Police departments response teams.”
Yet, from the witness accounts and videos, the preponderance of evidence shows the city’s main police force played a role in the enforcement action at Powderhorn Park today.
🧐hmm pic.twitter.com/g9tIrTIMuE
— A B Y W O L F (@abywolf) August 15, 2020
Earlier in the week, as authorities visited Minneapolis’ Loring Park Sanctuary, we heard from a tent community resident who said that he wouldn’t leave willingly had the police come as he had nowhere to go.
Thousands of unhoused people are sleeping in any number of shelters, streets, and parks on any given night in the Twin Cities metro.
Following a wave of political posturing after the George Floyd uprising, Park Board officials in Minneapolis said they canceled their ties with the police and called Minneapolis parks sanctuary spaces for the unhoused. Less than two months later, Minneapolis police are carrying out ‘eviction’ orders of tent encampments in Minneapolis parks.
Unicorn Riot's 2020-24 Unhoused Crisis in Minneapolis:
- Crisis of the Unhoused – Landing Page for Unicorn Riot Coverage
- Camp Nenookaasi Burns Down, Finds New Home - Feb. 29, 2024
- Camp Nenookaasi Pushes Debates in Minneapolis Around Encampments [Video] - Feb. 26, 2024
- Camp Nenookaasi Brings Minneapolis’ Policies Against its Unhoused Residents to the Forefront - Feb. 7, 2024
- Camp Nenookaasi, a Beacon of Hope to the Unhoused, Faces Eviction - Dec. 14, 2023
- ‘Wall of Forgotten Natives’ Encampment Revived After Five Years, Gets Evicted - Sept. 4, 2023
- Minneapolis Continues Encampment Evictions, Displacing Hundreds in May - May 26, 2023
- Samatar Encampment Eviction Leaves 100 Displaced Mid-Winter - January 24, 2023
- Dozens of Police Evict Quarry Encampment - January 2, 2023
- Quarry Encampment Faces Eviction in Minneapolis - December 28, 2022
- Three Encampments and Halfway House Evicted, Displacing Hundreds - October 12, 2022
- Personal Belongings Trashed as Minneapolis Encampment Evicted - July 22, 2022
- Minneapolis Community Resists Encampment Eviction - July 20, 2022
- Southside Minneapolis Encampment Faces Eviction Threat - June 28, 2022
- Eviction Defense Successful Despite Aggressive Contractors - June 9, 2022
- Uptown Streets Blocked During Protest Against Police Attack on Houseless - March 23, 2021
- Five Arrested as Minneapolis Police Attempt Raid on Near North Houseless Encampment - March 23, 2021
- Homeless Tenants Union: Unhoused Self-Advocacy in the Twin Cities - February 17, 2021
- Winter of Coronavirus: Seeking Shelter in Minneapolis During COVID–19 - December 14, 2020
- Unhoused Community Forms Tenants Union, Constituents Protest at Commissioner’s Home - November 11, 2020
- Minneapolis Prioritizing Park Sweeps Over Sheltering the Unhoused - October 29, 2020
- ‘No KKKops, No Pipelines’ Banner Dropped in Minneapolis - October 6, 2020
- Reclaimed Space Sprouts From Uprising’s Embers - September 28, 2020
- Peavey Park Sanctuary Homeless Camp Evicted in Minneapolis - September 24, 2020
- New Month Brings Added Urgency To Minneapolis’ Housing Needs - September 2, 2020
- Sanctuary Camp Residents Pressured To Move, No Housing Solution In Sight - August 22, 2020
- Minneapolis Police Sweep West Powderhorn Encampment, Pepper Spray Defenders - August 15, 2020
- Authorities Visit Loring Park Tent Encampment, Bring Eviction Scare - August 10, 2020
- Minneapolis’ Unhoused Speak Out Against Years of Evictions - August 3, 2020
- Minneapolis Park Police Displace Sanctuary Encampment - July 22, 2020
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