Minneapolis city employees are reportedly facing explicit threats of violence if they evict people from homeless camps.
Crime Watch Minneapolis tweeted a photo of a poster that has reportedly been found “all over” Uptown Minneapolis. The poster targets “police, public works, and other eviction collaborators.”
“You sweep? We strike!” it reads alongside a graphic of a person holding a homemade incendiary device.
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Decades of failed leadership in Minneapolis and Hennepin County that has fostered and enabled a permanent Victim class, has now enabled and given rise to a permanent Terrorist class in the cities.These were reportedly found posted all over #UptownMpls. pic.twitter.com/aTDeBXs8jO
— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) May 11, 2022
“Encampment evictions are police brutality,” states the poster. “These sweeps displace the most vulnerable in our city from their shelters of last resort, destroying what little belongings they have left.”
“F#&K around and find out,” it continues, pointing out that “equipment” used for evictions is often left at those sites. A photo on the poster also proclaims: “No evictions on stolen land.”
The creators of the poster left specific names of people they deem “eviction-enabling bureaucrats,” including Mayor Jacob Frey’s policy advisor and “many others with names and addresses.”
In March, Minneapolis staff shut down a homeless encampment in the North Loop, where several dangerous acts had taken place, including a woman’s overdose and a propane fire. In April, city workers cleared a camp off of Lake Street in the Phillips West neighborhood.
Last year, Minnesota ranked as having the 13th-highest homeless population in the nation.
Meanwhile, Minneapolis city staff have expressed increasing concern about their own safety while working in the city, MinnPost reported.
City employees in various departments have reported a spike in harassment and threats of violence.
Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw told MinnPost that in her ward this year “we had someone come to plow the streets who was caught in the middle of gunfire.”
Interim city coordinator Heather Johnston said the uptick in harassment has been aimed at “public works and traffic control.”
One council member, Emily Koski, said that “just being out in the vehicles and being out around Minneapolis constituents” was the number one concern she heard from staff.
An interactive crime dashboard published by the city of Minneapolis shows that most crimes have increased year-to-date. Shots-fired calls in particular are up 68.1% compared to the three-year average.
Rose Williams
Rose Williams is an assistant editor for Alpha News.
