UPDATE (4/18/16) – Today we received a letter from the Custodian of Records for the Department of Safety informing us that our open records request for the footage of the shooting has been denied. We plan to appeal the denial.
UPDATE (4/13/16) – In a…
On April 8th, 2016, the City of Cleveland received a $49-million dollar federal grant from the Department of Justice for security surrounding the upcoming Republican National Convention (RNC). The City of Cleveland was able to receive this grant because the RNC is considered a National…
For our story about the Denver Police Department’s use of the surveillance analytics software program Analyst’s Notebook, we were happy to be able to speak by telephone with Christopher Soghoian, Principal Technologist with the American Civil Liberties Union. He answered some questions for us about…
Minneapolis, MN – On the morning of March 30th, Hennepin Co. Attorney Mike Freeman announced that the evidence against officers Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze, for their execution-style murder of Jamar Clark was insufficient to press charges. Community members who have been engaging the prosecutor’s…
3/30: UnicornRiot is starting live coverage today here. The county attorney is holding a press conference & a rally in Eliot Park is planned later. //
Minneapolis, MN – March 26, 2016
“Indict, convict, send those killer cops to jail – the whole damn system…
Minneapolis, MN – On March 25, 2016 community members and allies gathered in front of the Minneapolis City Hall to continue to demand Justice for Jamar. Representatives from Minneapolis NAACP, Twin Cities Coalition 4 Justice 4 Jamar, Black Lives Matter Minneapolis, Black Clergy United for…
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – On Wednesday, March 2nd, 2016, faculty, staff, and students assembled at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo under a heavy police presence. The assembly was called to discuss the demands brought forward during a two week strike in the beginning…
Columbia Heights, MN – On March 5th, 2016 a Justice 4 Michael Kirvelay action was called “Police Station take 2” in Columbia Heights, a northeast suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota, to protest of the killing of Michael Kirvelay by police during a mental health check on…
Minneapolis, MN – An unreleased video statement from a witness of Jamar Clark‘s murder was played for Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman’s colleagues today.
Community members and organizers from Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar came together on Friday, February 26, at the Hennepin…
On the morning of February 24th, Martin Wirth was shot and killed in Bailey, Colorado as the Park County Sheriff’s Office attempted to serve him with an eviction notice in the home where he had lived since 1998. A Corporal from the Sheriff’s Office was…
UPDATE: As of Tuesday, February 23rd, County Attorney Mike Freeman has stated “a number of things were not completed and they were sent back to get done”, expanding the BCA’s investigation in Jamar Clark’s case. Freeman also stated that “new things have to be investigated”…
St. Paul, MN – On Wednesday, February 18, St. Paul police officers Joe LaBathe and Rich McGuire were cleared in the killing of Phil Quinn. During Thursday’s press conference, authorities released the dashcam footage and 911 transcripts of the incident.
In a bid to win…
Supporters of the Move 9 are asking for signatures to urge the Attorney General to open an investigation into the 1978 highly contested murder case which for years has been criticized as politically and racially targeted.
Using the hashtag #FreeTheMove9 advocates have launched a twitterstorm…
St. Paul, MN – On February 13, 2016, Unicorn Riot attended the “Broken Hearts Rally: Picking up the Pieces for Unity.” The rally was held in Arnellia’s jazz club in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was originally slated to be held outdoors, but the event was…
Denver, CO – On the morning of Monday, February 15, the Denver Police tweeted that an act of vandalism had occurred outside the police headquarters at 13th & Cherokee:
Media Alert: Chief White will talk to media about Police Memorial Vandalism today at 10:00 a.m.…
Minneapolis, MN – Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders joined Neighborhoods Organizing for Change (NOC) in a historic forum on Black issues called the Black America Forum on Friday, February 12, 2016.
The forum took place at Patrick Henry High School in North Minneapolis, a historically…
Denver, CO – Thursday night, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock spoke at a “Diversity and Leadership Summit” held by Regis University. He specifically mentioned the need to have “uncomfortable conversations” about racism in America. An uncomfortable conversation soon took place as the Mayor’s speech was interrupted…
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Solecast 21 includes an interview with DePaul University adjunct Professor Brendan Mcquade. Brendan is a writer for Jacobin Magazine & Counterpunch, he is currently teaching a course at DePaul entitled “Post Work Politics, Digital Labor…
Last week, after filing a Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) request, Unicorn Riot received a heavily redacted copy of the Denver Police Crowd Control Manual. Most sections of the manual relevant to the policing of protests (our primary interest) were redacted. One redaction was 15…
Denver, CO
A banner stating “Cops are Killing Us for Sport” was dropped on the Highland Bridge over Interstate 25 in Denver today. The 20-foot long message, designed in Bronco team colors, was visible on the primary route fans used to travel to the New…
The Denver Police Department’s Crowd Control Manual, as well as Department Directive 11-07 to which it is attached, have, as far as we know, not been available to the public until today. After requesting these documents under the Colorado Open Records Act, we received a…
Minneapolis, MN – Two protesters {interviewed below} from the recent 18 day #4thPrecinctShutDown are suing officers of the Minneapolis Police Department and the City of Minneapolis for violating their free speech and using excessive force. The protests began on November 15th in the wake of…
Bloomington, MN – Hundreds of protesters converged on the Mall of America in what was billed as another #BlackXmas mall protest. This time Black Lives Matter Minneapolis & other groups demanded justice for Jamar Clark, an independent prosecutor for the police officer that killed him,…
Update (December 24, 2015) – The Denver Post has identified the deceased as Chan Lieth, a 25-year-old black man who graduated from Cherry Creek High School in 2010.
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Denver, CO – As a year marked by controversial high-profile police shootings draws to a close,…
UPDATE: February 29th, 2016, two months after filing a restraining order against #BlackLivesMatter Minneapolis organizers, Mall of America attorney Susan Gaertner asked a judge to drop the orders. For her reasoning, she stated, “We believe that it had the correct effect on the goings on…
Tlalnepantla, DF, Mexico – [NEW 2x Updates Below From Victim] Four squad cars of local police attacked a fundraiser party outside of Casa Naranja Okupa – a nine-year old squat. People were raising funds to start a bike collective. After the early morning incident on…
Minneapolis, MN – A large coalition of organizations and community members defied frigid temperatures for the Justice 4 Jamar Unity Rally/March on Saturday, December 19, 2015 shortly after noon.
The rally and march was the latest in a series of community events in response to…
Minneapolis, MN – On December 9, 2015, with about two hours notice, Minneapolis mayor Betsy Hodges and Northside city council member Blong Yang floated a vague proposal to throw $605,000 at upgrading the formerly besieged 4th Precinct facility.
Over a hundred community members packed the…
Columbia Heights, MN – Unicorn Riot documented a vigil held for Michael Kirvelay on December 5th, 2015 where we listened to witnesses to the police killing of Michael Kirvelay.
On November 24th, 2015, Jaime, Michael’s sister, had advised the police that her brother was unwell…