A Glimpse at the Legendary Dr. Mahmoud El-Kati — Mini-Doc
Dr. Mahmoud El-Kati, the deeply revered Black scholarly giant in Minnesota, is the central figure of UR's latest mini-documentary.
Tag: saint paul
🦄 Eco
Rise and Repair Alliance Advocates for Wild Rice Protection Act
Saint Paul, MN — Urging Minnesota legislators to adopt bills related to environmental conservation at the start of a new legislative session, the Rise and Repair Alliance gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol on January 14, 2025. For many activists present, the main focus was…
Killed by a Vigilante Who Received No Prison Time: The Murder of AJ Stewart
Saint Paul, MN — In the capital city of Minnesota, a middle-aged white man was given no prison time after being convicted of murder for fatally stabbing an unarmed Black man. The 2021 murder of Arnell ‘AJ’ Stewart and the following conviction and sentencing of…
White Vigilante Denied Release From Jail While Appealing Murder Conviction
Saint Paul, MN — Brian Harry Kjellberg, the “white vigilante” convicted of murdering Arnell ‘AJ’ Stewart in St. Paul, was recently denied early release from jail to appeal his murder conviction. On Nov. 29, nearly two years to the date of murdering 27-year-old Stewart and…
White Vigilante Appeals Murder Conviction, Seeks Release From Jail
Saint Paul, MN — On May 31, Ramsey County District Judge Leonardo Castro sentenced Brian Kjellberg to just 365 days in jail for the December 2, 2021 killing of Arnell ‘AJ’ Stewart. Now, after serving six months of his sentence, Kjellberg is asking for release…
#NoKidsInPrison Art Installation Highlights Youth Incarceration Driven By Target
Saint Paul, MN — The #NoKidsInPrison traveling art installation highlighted artwork from several cities across the U.S. along the theme of abolishing youth imprisonment; including art inspired by youth incarceration in Minneapolis driven by Target Corp.
The Minneapolis based non-profit law firm Legal Rights Center…
🦄 Police
Found Dead Following Police Encounter, Justin Teigen Remembered
A newly released Unicorn Riot video highlights the final moments of 24-year-old Justin Teigen’s life and features an interview with one of Teigen’s best friends who was perhaps the last person to see him alive. In 2009, Teigen, a father of one, was found dead…
🦄 Prison
Limited Funds Stunt Minnesota’s Conviction Review Unit — Families Want Expediency
Minnesota’s Conviction Review Unit (CRU) has received nearly 1,000 applications of wrongful incarceration to review but with only a couple paid staff and four grants in two years, impacted families complain about lengthy waits while the CRU say they lack capacity and funding. Created to…
Defense Attorney Earl Gray Says Black Foreman is ‘Racist’ After Guilty Verdict, Judge Grants New Hearing
Saint Paul, MN — In a motion hearing seeking a new trial for convicted murderer Brian Kjellberg, defense attorney Earl Gray called the Black foreman of the jury “racist” and was granted a Schwartz hearing by Ramsey County Judge Leonardo Castro. In late March, Kjellberg…
Guilty Verdict in Saint Paul Murder Trial of White Vigilante Not Enough, Says Victim’s Family
Saint Paul, MN — On March 30, 2023, Brian Kjellberg was found guilty by a jury of second-degree murder without intent for killing Arnell ‘AJ’ Stewart over a parking space near Kjellberg’s residence. But even before evidence shown in the trial indicated a racial motive,…
Family of AJ Stewart Speak on Patterns of White Supremacy That Led to His Killing Over a Parking Spot
Saint Paul, MN – The trial of Brian Kjellberg, who was charged with 2nd degree murder for killing Arnell ‘AJ’ Stewart over a parking spot, begins late March. Unicorn Riot recently sat down with the Poet Laureate of San Francisco and cousin of Stewart, Tongo…
Another Summer of Protests, Gathering and Healing for Impacted Families
Saint Paul, MN – As police killings continue to increase in numbers while decreasing in attention, impacted families in the Twin Cities held numerous events during the summer of 2022, keeping the movement alive against what many families call “police terror.” From weekends of intentional…
🦄 Police
Philando Castile Remembered Six Years After Being Killed by Police
St. Paul, MN – Standing in front of the Minnesota Governor’s Residence Valerie Castile recounted how former St. Anthony Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez killed her son Philando during a traffic stop six years ago on July 6, 2016, “Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Five times…
Derek Chauvin to be Moved to Federal Prison After Sentenced to 21 Years
Saint Paul, MN – Former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison on Thursday, July 7, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson. Chauvin, who had pleaded guilty to federal civil rights violations in December 2021, has been incarcerated…
The Mothers Podcast Episode 7
George Floyd’s murder at the hands of Minneapolis police was the most high-profile Minnesota law enforcement killing in a long history. In May 2016, St. Paul police, who have killed more people than Minneapolis officers, killed Jaffort Smith in the North End. In this episode…
‘Black Women United’ Marches for Breonna Taylor
Saint Paul, MN – An all-Black-women lineup of speakers and performers gathered outside the Minnesota Governor’s Residence to remember Breonna Taylor on what would’ve been her 29th birthday had she not been killed by Louisville police over two years ago. Organized by radio personality, filmmaker,…
Family Calls for Hate Crimes Charge in Killing of AJ Stewart
St. Paul, MN – A 50-year-old white man fatally stabbed a young Black man in the heart with a homemade shank over a parking dispute in late 2021. The community says it was a racially motivated attack and compared it to the cases of Ahmed…
🦄 Police
Protest at POST Board Demands Justice for Amir Locke
St. Paul, MN – Upwards of 60 people protested the police killing of Amir Locke outside the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) on February 9, 2022. Speakers demanded accountability, reform to police training and Mexica-Nahua (Aztec) performers provided a ceremonial dance.…
Police Break Up Ceremony and Indigenous-Led #StopLine3 Occupation
St. Paul, MN – Thousands converged on the Minnesota State Capitol grounds on August 25 to demand that construction on the contentious Line 3 tar sands pipeline be stopped. A massive police response greeted the water protectors who held ceremony, set tipis up and attempted…
From Pain to Power: Twelve Years After Justin Teigen
St. Paul, MN – Toshira Garraway’s life was turned upside down following the death of her fiancé, Justin Teigen, twelve years ago. Teigen is the father of Garraway’s child and was 24 when he was found dead in a recycling center after an encounter with…
🦄 Prison
Demanding the Passage of the Hardel Sherrell Act
Saint Paul, MN – Nearly three years after Hardel Sherrell’s harrowing death in Beltrami County Jail, a legislative act named after him aims to stop the dozens of deaths in Minnesota jail cells. After losing her only son at the young age of 27, Del…
Opposition to Line 3 Mounts
Saint Paul, MN – Around 600 people gathered in St. Paul, Minnesota, on January 29, calling on President Biden to revoke permits for the Line 3 tar sands oil pipeline project. The protest billed as ‘Protect the Water, Revoke the Permits‘ started at Kellogg Park…
D.C. Riots: A Look at the Minnesota Contingent
Saint Paul, Minnesota – Numerous “patriots” from Minnesota followed incitement from President Donald Trump and took part in the violent storming of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. on January 6. The events resulted in a police officer being beaten to death and four other…
Anti-Fascist Shield Wall Opposes Minnesota Far-Right
Saint Paul, MN – On December 5, hundreds of anti-fascists came with a large shield wall to oppose the weekly post-election far-right gathering at Minnesota’s Governor’s Residence. Police inserted themselves between the anti-fascists and the weekly ‘Stop The Steal’ event, which featured armed white supremacists.…
Ramsey County Sentences Native Organizer for Columbus Statue Toppling
Saint Paul, MN – A Minnesota court recently agreed to an uncommon approach to resolve criminal charges filed after the statue of Christopher Columbus was toppled at the Minnesota Capitol on June 10, 2020.
Ramsey County Chief Judge Leonardo Castro accepted the restorative justice approach…
Twin Cities Anti-Fascists Scuffle with Proud Boys and Pro-Trumpers
Saint Paul, MN – Since the 2020 presidential election, an assortment of armed pro-Trump and white supremacist groups such as the Proud Boys have been defying pandemic orders against public gatherings to hold weekly Saturday protests against the coronavirus mandates and the election results at…
Community Wants Justice for Mother of Three Killed by Teen Driver
Saint Paul, MN – A small crowd gathered on the West Side of St. Paul Sunday afternoon to demand justice for a woman who was fatally run over by a teenage driver. According to family and witnesses, Karina Chosa, a 35-year-old mother of three fell…
🦄 Eco
Protests After Permits for Line 3 Oil Pipeline Approved
Saint Paul, MN – The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) approved various permits for Enbridge’s Line 3 on Thursday, November 12, 2020, moving the Calgary-based pipeline replacement project closer to completion.
On Saturday, November 14, hundreds gathered outside…
‘No Más Cultural Appropriation’ Protest Succeeds in Changing Restaurant Name
St. Paul, MN – Protesters calling out a new restaurant for cultural appropriation delayed the business’ grand opening and forced a name change. Dozens of people protested outside of “Elotes Woodfired Cantina” inside St. Paul’s Keg & Case marketplace in the West 7th neighborhood Thursday…
🦄 Police
Mom Leads March for Son Killed by Police in 1997
Saint Paul, MN – Marilyn Hill and her family led a rally for her son, Demetrius Hill, 23 years after he was killed by Saint Paul Police (SPPD) officers. At Mears Park on September 3, 2020, nearly a hundred people gathered to demand an end…