Congresswoman Ilhan Omar says her local Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) is “rotten to the root” and needs to be replaced.
Omar’s commentary came Sunday morning via an interview on CNN. “You can’t really reform a department that is rotten to the root,” she said. “What you can do is rebuild, and so this is our opportunity as a city to come together [and] have the conversation of what public safety looks like.”
This is not the first time Omar has characterized the MPD as “rotten.” Earlier this month, she retweeted an anti-cop statement from the Minneapolis City Council President, adding her own commentary.
We can’t reform a system that is rotten, reimagining and reconstructing a new way forward is a better approach.
Thankful for Minneapolis city council for their leadership on this. https://t.co/Vm9cbRfgzn
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) June 5, 2020
That same day she posted another tweet outright calling for the abolition of the MPD. “It’s time to disband them and reimagine public safety in Minneapolis,” she said.
The Minneapolis Police Department has proven themselves beyond reform.
It’s time to disband them and reimagine public safety in Minneapolis.
Thank you to @MplsWard3 for your leadership on this! https://t.co/AQfHM5M6eR
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) June 5, 2020
The Minnesota congresswoman is not alone in her anti-cop fervor. Rather, she appears to have the full partnership of the Minneapolis City Council. The Council voted unanimously to pass a resolution, Friday, that will “commence a year long process” that involves “structural change to create a transformative new model for cultivating safety in our city.”
That resolution also decries America as a “racist society” and seeks to encourage the “creation of a new City Department of Community Safety,” ostensibly to replace the MPD.
This move by the City Council was long foreshadowed in statements made by council members, including Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s own son.
We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department.
And when we’re done, we’re not simply gonna glue it back together.
We are going to dramatically rethink how we approach public safety and emergency response.
It’s really past due. https://t.co/7WIxUL6W79
— Jeremiah Ellison (@jeremiah4north) June 4, 2020
Councilman Ellison has also declared his allegiance to ANTIFA.
I hereby declare, officially, my support for ANTIFA
Unless someone can prove to me ANTIFA is behind the burning of black and immigrant owned businesses in my ward, I’ll keep focusing on stopping the white power terrorist THE ARE ACTUALLY ATTACKING US! https://t.co/m6jxtDYmTi
— Jeremiah Ellison (@jeremiah4north) May 31, 2020
The push to abolish the police in Minneapolis was triggered by the death of George Floyd at the hands of the MPD and spurred on by a wave of violent riots across the Twin Cities.
Kyle Hooten
Kyle Hooten is Managing Editor of Alpha News. His coverage of Minneapolis has been featured on television shows like Tucker Carlson Tonight and in print media outlets like the Wall Street Journal.
