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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Minneapolis, MN – Following the Minneapolis Police (MPD) killing of 23-year-old Dolal Idd, community members are growing increasingly critical of the punitive approach embedded in the city’s law enforcement.
The criminal “justice” apparatus faces increasing criticism for emphasizing punishment, violent abuse and incarceration of criminals rather…
Minneapolis, MN – Minneapolis authorities released body camera footage showing the December 30 police killing of a young man on the day after the killing. The 27-second video appears to show the man shoot a gun from inside of his car towards police as officers…
Minneapolis, MN – An evening before New Year’s Eve 2021, police fatally shot a man while in a South Minneapolis gas station parking lot, reportedly during a traffic stop.
In a somewhat contentious press conference near the scene of the killing outside the Holiday gas…
Minneapolis, MN – An advocate for the homeless was brutally arrested just yards from George Floyd’s memorial on December 4, 2020. The advocate, a young Black man named JoJo, said that Minneapolis Police officer Kyle Mader dislocated his shoulder when he violently slammed him to…
![image: aerial photograph of the city of Minneapolis in the daytime from the Department of Natural Resources airplane. The wing is visible on the bottom left side of the picture. Four images are superimposed: from left to right, a black rectangle with white text, "Getting that load to MN is the priority. Advise if plan B needs to be made for munitions."; a grey map showing an aircraft's flight record from northern Minnesota, to a location in Wyoming, then to Minneapolis; a white rectangle with black text from an email reading, "Subject: RE: Flight Info Steve will be able to load 1600 pounds of cargo onboard."; another white rectangle with black text, "Estimated Arrival in Casper Wyoming: 10:00 hours local time. Max Payload with required fuel, about 1500 pounds. Safariland Contact Wyoming Mike Kramer [redacted]. Safariland Contact Minneapolis Kevin Degel [redacted]."](https://unicornriot.ninja/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/FOIALawEnforcementResponseSTory-min.png)
Text messages, emails, photos and other records provide a rare look into the coordination between multiple agencies that took place in the aftermath of Floyd's killing.
Minneapolis, MN – Around 50 people marched through Uptown Minneapolis during a mobile dance party on election night, November 3. The crowd played music, shot fireworks, spray-painted political statements onto boarded-up business fronts and erected roving barricades in the streets. After the first loop through…
Saint Paul, MN – Charges against an Illinois man facing federal felonies from this summer’s uprising in Minneapolis showcase the tactics, techniques and procedures applied by the U.S. government against some of the more enthusiastic participants in the George Floyd rebellion.
Repressive responses by the…
While Minneapolis' ongoing housing crisis has been made more urgent by an early major snowfall, the city's elected leaders have prioritized having all the parks cleared by the end of October.
Minneapolis, MN – Hundreds of young adults and teenagers marched just hours after the ex-cop charged with George Floyd’s death was released on bail.
Starting at George Floyd Memorial Square on 38th Street and Chicago Avenue at 6:30 p.m. on October 7, a fast-paced march…
Minneapolis, MN – Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) officer charged with murdering George Floyd, was released from jail on a non-cash bond on Wednesday, October 7.
In response to expected protests over Derek Chauvin being released from jail, Minnesota’s Governor, Tim Walz,…
Minneapolis, MN – Activists hoisted a massive banner reading “No KKKops, No Pipelines” above Hiawatha Avenue on Sunday, October 4. More than 20 feet tall, it had been intricately strung from the suspension cables above the Minneapolis Greenway’s pedestrian transit bridge. Sight of the banner…
Minneapolis, MN – A long-dreaded eviction of the sanctuary camp at Peavey Park took place today just after 6:00 a.m., an hour before sunrise. Minneapolis Park Police, Minneapolis Police, and sheriff’s officers were all documented as having taken part in this morning’s sweep.
An emergency…
Minneapolis, MN – The pretrial hearings for the officers charged in the murder of George Floyd began on the morning of Friday, September 11. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the courthouse and chanted for hours as several motions were heard in court.
Hennepin County Attorney…
Minneapolis, MN – Advocates for people without housing are meeting today outside of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board headquarters, hours after a sanctuary encampment in the Phillips area was cleared by police. They’re demanding immediate sanctuary for the Safe Haven Encampment (SHE), a sanctuary…
Minneapolis, MN – Police targeted and arrested a group of protesters after a large ‘Justice for Jacob Blake’ march, culminating in over a dozen arrests later in the night. Nearly 1,000 people had gathered in downtown Minneapolis on August 24, the day after Blake was…
Minneapolis, MN – A new wave of unrest hit downtown Minneapolis after a man reportedly shot himself late on Wednesday afternoon near 8th and Nicollet Mall.
A city-wide curfew was in effect between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Emergency alerts went out…
Minneapolis, MN – Houseless Twin Cities residents have recently endured arrests, the trashing of their belongings, and violent actions at the hands of Park Police, whose participation in these sweeps has been documented by local photographers.
Several hundred people living in dozens of camps across…
Minneapolis, MN – Organizers at the George Floyd Memorial Square declared their intent to defend the square from planned eviction and revealed their “justice resolution” with 24 demands during a Saturday press conference.
The presser came a day after a surprise announcement by the city…
Minneapolis, MN – Fireworks exploded on the roof of the Minneapolis Police (MPD) 5th Precinct on Saturday night while dozens took part in spray painting and egging the windows of the building.
After a nighttime march reached the precinct, a participant shouted into a bullhorn…
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…
Minneapolis, MN – On Monday, July 20, dozens of houseless people were displaced and about 20 people were arrested as law enforcement executed an eviction of the eastern portion of a sanctuary tent encampment in Powderhorn Park.
After the raid, Unicorn Riot spoke to community…
Minneapolis, MN – In an historic meeting on June 7, 2020, local elected officials promised to dismantle the scandal-ridden Minneapolis Police Department (MPD).
Time will tell whether this promise will actually be implemented, or if it was simply convenient political posturing during a popular uprising.…
Minneapolis, MN – Unicorn Riot covered a march demanding the Minneapolis Police Department is defunded and disbanded. Thousands attended this action led by Black youth – now the 12th straight day of protests and actions in the city after George Floyd was murdered by police.…
Minneapolis, MN – Minneapolis business owner Louis Hunter was standing in front of his business Saturday night when State Troopers assaulted him and our team in efforts to enforce a city wide curfew. The 8 p.m. curfew was issued Friday evening following days of protests…
Minneapolis, MN – Extended protests have continued in the Twin Cities and a vigil site has become ensconced in the intersection around the where a black man named George Floyd brutally lost his life to a now-former Minneapolis police officer. The Twin Cities is still…