Category: Police
Woman Killed After Driver Slams into Winston Smith Protest
A driver rammed his Jeep Cherokee at a high speed into a car protecting a crowd of Winston Smith protesters on Sunday night, killing the parked car's owner and injuring two others. A mainstay at the near-daily Winston Smith protests, 31-year-old Deona Marie was pronounced dead from her injuries after arriving to the hospital.
Federal Task Force Kills Winston Smith Leading to Sustained Protests
Minneapolis, MN – Sheriffs deputized as federal agents ambushed and killed 32-year-old father of three, Winston “Boogie” Smith Jr., around 2 p.m. on June 3, 2021. Smith had just eaten lunch with a date when he was shot to death as he sat with her…
Greece: New Education Bill Brings a New Students Movement
Thessaloniki, Greece – A new generation of students is rising to fight a proposed education bill and raise their voice against the Greek government for what they call criminal mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Universities in Greece have been closed since March 2020. In this…
‘Locks for Love’ 5-Day Occupation Sought Police Accountability
Minneapolis, MN – A five-day occupation demanding police accountability started the night of opening statements in the Derek Chauvin trial. Held outside and based on actions named ‘locks for love’, the occupation was led by Kaia Hirt, a high school teacher who chained herself to…
🦄 Investigative, Police
Shame Games: Minneapolis Police Mock Community Engagement Officer
Minneapolis, MN – Newly released body camera footage from officers in the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) reveals a gang-like culture denigrating a central command community engagement officer. The videos also show a litany of micro-aggressions towards protesters, the general public and show the main aggressor,…
🦄 Police, Racism & Far-Right
Philly Commemorates 36th Anniversary of MOVE Bombing
Philadelphia, PA – Thirty-six years ago today, the Philadelphia Police dropped a bomb on a home in West Philadelphia that served as the headquarters of the Black liberation organization, MOVE. The bombing killed 6 adults and 5 children, burned down 61 homes, and displaced 250…
🦄 Police, Racism & Far-Right
Denver Students Organize Sit-in for Black Lives Lost to Police Violence
Denver, CO – On the evening of April 23, 2021, three high school seniors held an overnight sit-in outside the Colorado State Capitol to raise awareness around Black lives lost to police violence—most specifically 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant.
One of the students, Ashira Campbell, told Unicorn…
Aerial Surveillance in Twin Cities Frustrates, Alarms Residents
When protests broke out several weeks ago in a Minneapolis, Minnesota suburb over the police killing of Daunte Wright, tensions were already high thanks to the trial of Derek Chauvin, the police officer found guilty of murdering George Floyd. State and local authorities were ready…
DC Settles Trump Inauguration Protest Lawsuits For $1.6 Million
Washington, D.C. – On Monday, D.C. officials agreed to pay to resolve lawsuits filed over police brutality and mass arrests during Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration on January 20, 2017. Two separate lawsuits brought against D.C. Metropolitan Police (MPD)—one filed by the D.C. ACLU in June…
🦄 Police, Racism & Far-Right
The State’s Conviction of Chauvin Upholds the System’s ‘Innocence’
Minneapolis, MN – In just ten hours, the jury in the Derek Chauvin murder trial delivered guilty verdicts on all three counts for the killing of George Floyd. In the context of the state’s arguments, the verdict serves to show that Chauvin’s actions were an…
🦄 Police, Racism & Far-Right
Derek Chauvin Found Guilty in Murder of George Floyd
Minneapolis, MN – On Tuesday, April 20, 2021, the jury in the trial of Derek Chauvin returned a verdict finding the defendant guilty on all counts. Former Minneapolis Police (MPD) Officer Chauvin had been charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter – and…
🦄 Police
Police Break Equipment, Shoot, Beat, and Detain Press
Brooklyn Center, MN – Minnesota authorities were court-ordered to stop brutalizing the press in Brooklyn Center after an aggressive and violent week following the police killing of 20-year-old Daunte Wright. Hours after Wright was killed, a swift and vast community responded to the killing. Shortly…
🦄 Police
Daunte Wright Protests Continue into Day Seven
Brooklyn Center, MN – Saturday evening saw a seventh round of protests at the police department on Humboldt Ave. N. after more than 100 mass arrests during a large kettle in the northwestern Twin Cities suburb on Friday.
Earlier hundreds rallied in the eastern suburb…
The Daunte Wright Shooting: What We Know So Far
Brooklyn Center, MN – On Sunday, April 11, 2021, in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center, former police officer Kim Potter shot and killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright. After pulling him over for expired tags, Brooklyn Center Police (BCPD) officers on the scene learned that Wright had…
🦄 Police
Protests Erupt in Brooklyn Center After Police Kill Daunte Wright
Brooklyn Center, MN – After the police killing of 20-year-old Daunte Wright during a vehicle stop in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center on Sunday afternoon, hundreds gathered near 63rd Avenue North and Lee Avenue North calling for justice.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension…
Uptown Streets Blocked During Protest Against Police Attack on Houseless
Minneapolis, MN – Nearly 75 people blocked Friday evening rush hour traffic at two busy Uptown Minneapolis intersections a day after a violent police attack during an attempted eviction of a houseless encampment. Large banners reading “No evictions on stolen land,” “free all political prisoners,”…
🦄 Community, Land & Housing, Police
Five Arrested as Minneapolis Police Attempt Raid on Near North Houseless Encampment
Minneapolis, MN – Around 7 a.m. on Thursday, March 18, police attempted an eviction of the Near North houseless encampment. Scuffles erupted between Minneapolis Police and people defending the camp which led to numerous injuries and five arrests. This incident came after the city’s Department…
🦄 Police, Racism & Far-Right
Race and Perception: First Two Weeks of Derek Chauvin Pre-Trial
Minneapolis, MN – Jury selection in the murder/manslaughter trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin finished its second week with eleven jurors finalized at the end of Friday, March 19, 2021. Judge Peter Cahill officially ruled on Friday there would be no change of…
Justice Families Seek Police Accountability with Derek Chauvin Trial Underway
Minneapolis, MN – “There was many police murders that led up to George Floyd,” said Toshira Garraway, founder of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence (FSFAV). Families who’ve lost their loved ones to police violence have been gathering in the Twin Cities demanding justice and…
🦄 Police, Racism & Far-Right
Black Lives Matter & Blue Lives Matter at Center of Jury Questionnaire
Minneapolis, MN – The trial for the cop charged with George Floyd’s murder is gearing up to be the biggest trial of the decade. For Minnesota, it’s the first fully televised criminal trial ever; the state typically doesn’t allow cameras in court.
As jury selection…
🦄 Police, Racism & Far-Right, Social Control, Tech
Minneapolis’ Downtown Dark Alliance
Minneapolis, MN – Multinational retail giant Target Corporation has weaponized its public-private partnerships with nonprofits, law enforcement, the offices of the Hennepin County prosecutor and the Minneapolis city attorney to criminalize and incarcerate the lowest level offenders in downtown. This policy targeted predominantly Black homeless…
Beyond the Barricades: A Look At George Floyd Square [Mini-Doc]
Minneapolis, MN – Since the police killing of 46-year-old George Floyd, the area where Floyd took his last breath has turned into an international sacred space controlled by community caretakers. The autonomous zone called George Floyd Square (GFS) consists of four city blocks around 38th…
Protesters Rally Downtown as First Day of Chauvin Trial Begins
Minneapolis, MN – The long-awaited trial of Derek Chauvin has finally come as hundreds of protesters gathered in downtown Minneapolis for the first day. Chauvin, a former Minneapolis Police officer, is charged with second degree murder and second degree manslaughter in the death of George…
George Floyd Square Celebrates Malcolm X
Minneapolis, MN – Nearly 100 people gathered in George Floyd Square (GFS) to commemorate Malcolm X on the 56th anniversary of his assassination. An event organized by the community at GFS featured a vigil for Malcolm X, a discussion on Black liberation movements of past…
🦄 Police, Racism & Far-Right, Social Control, Tech
Minneapolis Faces Facial Recognition
Minneapolis, MN – The new ordinance approved by Minneapolis City Council on February 12, limiting government use of facial recognition technology (FRT), does virtually nothing to protect people from law enforcement who are entrenched with corporations like Target, activists said.* Without including private entities in…
Police Attack NYE Noise Demo, Five Given “Politically Motivated” Felony Charges
Minneapolis, MN – On New Year’s Eve, authorities in Minneapolis attacked a crowd of nearly 100 without warning during a national night of noise demos held against the prison systems and in solidarity with incarcerated people. Police arrested three dozen and charged five people with…
Exclusive: State Patrol Spy Plane Over Protest (Video)
Saint Paul, MN – Footage obtained by Unicorn Riot provides a never-before-seen view of the powerful surveillance capabilities police spy planes possess. Nearly two full hours of video was released by the Minnesota State Patrol following public records requests for footage and data collected by…
🦄 Police
Police Training Examined in Upcoming Lawsuit
Columbus, GA – A family is preparing for a civil lawsuit this spring against the Columbus Consolidated Government, the Columbus Police Chief and three police officers who were dispatched to Hector Arreola’s home after he called 911 for help in Jan. 2017. According to court…