Minnesota public school teacher chains herself to a fence to protest the police

The teacher also expressed racist views, saying she prefers to be around other people of color and "not in yet another room full of white women."

Lorie Shaull/Flickr

A Minnesota public school teacher locked herself to a fence outside the Hennepin County courthouse to support Black Lives Matter.

Kaia Hirt, an English teacher at Champlin Park High School, loosely draped herself in chains before she spoke to media about her thoughts on police brutality and race. She then sat in a chair, ate pizza and conversed with onlookers for several hours to show her solidarity with BLM.

At one point, Hirst's chains were so lose, she had to hold them around herself. (Facebook/Chaz Neal)
At one point, Hirt’s chains were so loose, she had to hold them around herself. (Facebook/Chaz Neal)

Hirt spoke into a bullhorn and accused law enforcement of “committing murder” on a “regular basis in Minnesota,” criticized state Republicans, namely state Sen. Warren Limmer, and alleged that white people receive preferential treatment from the police.

“Why are these white men always apprehended unharmed after they have literally murdered five people, eight people, 20 people? What the hell?” she asked, referring to mass shooters. Meanwhile, two nonwhite mass shooters were taken into police custody alive recently in Colorado and California. There are also about three times more black mass shooters per capita than white ones, according to data spanning 39 years aggregated by Statista.

The educator also detailed her beliefs in a 2,700 word Facebook post in which she bemoans that she was challenged for providing politically-charged commentary in the classroom about the Kavanaugh hearings, former President Donald Trump, BLM and more.

Her post opens with a declaration that she’s halfway to the grave: “You know what, I’m 48. If I’m lucky, I’m guessing I’m pretty close to the halfway point in my life.” Hirt then explains how she needs spaces without white people, writing that she prefers to be around other people of color and “not in yet another room full of white women.”

However, she also goes on to detail how she was raised by an adoptive white family and chose to marry a white man.

After sunset, the environment outside the courthouse took on a more relaxed, party-like atmosphere. A livestream shows Hirt sitting by the fence at night while ambient rap music plays in the background.

The lyrics “we gon’ trap this bitch out ’til the feds come. Ah, I thought a pussy hoe said some,” can be heard as the public school teacher sits in a circle with fellow activists.

A large amount of donated food and drink can be seen near the group.

Donated food and supplies. (Facebook/Move For Justice News)
Donated food and supplies. (Facebook/Move For Justice News)

 

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.