U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar managed to obtain an exemption for Muslims in her Minneapolis district observing the holy month of Ramadan while the rest of the city is under a curfew due to riots following another police-involved shooting of a black man.
“My office reached out to the Minneapolis Mayor and Governor’s offices to urge them to include an exemption to the curfew this evening for travel to and from Ramadan activities/prayer services,” Omar wrote on Twitter Monday, the first day of the observance.
“The Governor’s Executive Order was just announced with that exemption so that folks are able to observe the first night of Taraweeh this evening without fear of arrest,” she added.
Police in Minneapolis issued the curfew after new rounds of rioting and looting began in the wake of the police shooting death of Daunte Wright, 20, by veteran officer Kimberly Potter of the Brooklyn Center Police Department on Sunday.
The Governor’s Executive Order was just announced with that exemption so that folks are able to observe the first night of Taraweeh this evening without fear of arrest.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) April 12, 2021
Officers stopped Wright for expired tags on his vehicle and discovered he had a warrant out for his arrest over failure to appear in court on a gun-related charge. Video of the encounter shows one officer preparing to handcuff Wright when he breaks free and gets back into his vehicle. As he struggles with the officer, Potter approaches the open door and can be heard yelling, “Taser! Taser!” But she appeared to have mistaken her service weapon for her Taser, which she didn’t realize until after she fired a shot into Wright, who sped away and died a short time later.
Some online users complained that the curfew should not be selective.
“No. Curfew for all. No special treatment for anyone,” one user wrote.
No. Curfew for all. No special treatment for anyone.
— Edison Norford (@EdisonNorford) April 13, 2021
“Screw that! Rules don’t apply to thee???” another user noted.
Screw that! Rules don’t apply to thee???
— Therese Woolson (@thereseWoolson) April 13, 2021
Or so they can continue to loot
— Anthony Gilbert (@iGoonyTunez) April 12, 2021
How about remove the curfew because people have a right to be in the streets? I respect the good intentions of this ask, but it really misses the mark.
— ROCteacher (@roremember49) April 12, 2021
I applaud at least attacking this curfew>1st amendment logic, but do I have to be religious for it?
— korpdawg (@korpdawg) April 12, 2021
Despite the curfew, hundreds of people rallied outside the Brooklyn Center PD headquarters to protest Wright’s death, many sporting Black Lives Matter banners and clashing with officers.
As the violence escalated, police arrested some 40 people in the hours following the incident, with officers in riot gear deploying tear gas and flash-bang grenades to disperse the crowds.
Protesters responded by throwing tear gas and smoke canisters back at police as well as “bottles, fireworks, bricks and other projectiles,” according to a tweet from Operation Safety Net.
Independent journalist Andy Ngo reported that police began installing concrete barriers around the Brooklyn Center HQ following Sunday’s rioting and violence.
The city of Brooklyn Center (near Minneapolis) is putting up concrete barricades at the police station following mass #BLM rioting and looting overnight over the shooting death of wanted criminal suspect #DaunteWright pic.twitter.com/xePrRIZFpG
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) April 12, 2021
“I am closely monitoring the situation in Brooklyn Center. Gwen and I are praying for Daunte Wright’s family as our state mourns another life of a Black man taken by law enforcement,” Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, tweeted, which led to criticism from Minnesota Republicans.
I am closely monitoring the situation in Brooklyn Center. Gwen and I are praying for Daunte Wright’s family as our state mourns another life of a Black man taken by law enforcement.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) April 12, 2021
“Governor, your words fuel fire for protesters. You of all people should know to wait until the @MnDPS_BCA finish their investigation. In your tweet, you should have stopped after the words, ‘praying for Duante Wright’s family’. Everything after that was inappropriate,” the Saint Paul GOP tweeted in response.
Governor, your words fuel fire for protesters. You of all people should know to wait until the @MnDPS_BCA finish their investigation. In your tweet, you should have stopped after the words, “praying for Duante Wright’s family”. Everything after that was inappropriate.@MnDPS_DPS
— Saint Paul Republicans-MNGOP (@SPRCC_) April 12, 2021
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Jon@bizpacreview.com
Jon is a staff writer for BizPac Review with 30 years' worth of reporting experience, as well as an author and U.S. Army veteran. He has a BA in political science from Ashford University and an MA in national security studies/intelligence analysis from American Military University.
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