Black Lives Matter supporters speak out to oppose charging protesters

Supporters of Black Lives Matter Minneapolis turned out at the Bloomington City Council meeting Monday night, asking city officials not to press criminal charges against the leaders of last month's Mall of America protest.

But City Attorney Sandra Johnson said she has no choice in the matter.

Twenty-six people were arrested at the protest, which drew a crowd estimated at between 1,500 and 3,000. It was part of wave of demonstrations across the country in response to high-profile killings of unarmed black men by police. The privately-owned Mall of America tried to stop the event. It has a longstanding policy banning protests.

Alexa Groenke of Bloomington participated in the protest and accused the mall and the city of overreacting to the event.

"Charging organizers of the gathering last month would be valuing a private company over your black citizens. Black lives matter. And black lives matter more than a disrupted shopping day at the mall," said Groenke.

Johnson said demonstrators knew they could be arrested for trespassing.

"Civil disobedience has its price," Johnson said.

In addition to those who were arrested last month, Johnson intends to file charges against several of people who organized the event. She also said she plans to seek restitution in order to recoup the $25,000 the Bloomington Police Department spent on overtime to manage the event, plus as yet unspecified costs incurred by other law enforcement agencies and the mall.

Johnson said U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison called her to urge her to drop the charges, but she says she can't let political considerations influence her decisions as a prosecutor.

"If I can say, 'I agree with your political beliefs, so I'm not going prosecute you.' That is wrong," said Johnson.

Most of the 20 or so people who spoke at the public hearing disagreed. Many likened the event to the Civil Rights movement, which also included non-violent protests on private property.

Lena Gardner of Black Lives Matter pointed out those activists faced punishment from local officials, too.

"There was another person during Martin Luther King's era who decided he was going to follow the law, too. His name was Bull Connor. And he imprisoned MLK. He imprisoned the leaders of that movement," Gardner said.

Only one speaker spoke against leniency. Corinne Braun lives in St. Louis Park, and said she frequently walks in the mall for exercise.

"What was done at that mall was wrong. And it has nothing to do with the cause. And the members of this movement need to face their mistake," said Braun. "Violating the rights of a private business is not OK, because you think your cause is so important that nothing else matters. And that's wrong."

Next time the group wants to hold a protest, Braun said they should do it on public property.