Protesters demand permit, other conditions for Summit Avenue demonstration
Demonstrators who were evicted from in front of the governor's residence in St. Paul met with City Council members Wednesday afternoon and said they want to be allowed to reestablish their encampment on Summit Avenue.
"We're asking for a permit to peacefully protest. Along with that permit, we want to have our generator for our power needs," said Curtis Avent, one of the protest leaders. "We're also asking that our basic necessities that any human being be awarded, and not be bartered away."
Avent and more than a dozen other demonstrators presented their list of demands to City Council President Russ Stark in a meeting at City Hall. He was joined by council members Dai Thao and Rebecca Noecker.
Demonstrators have been camped out in front of the governor's mansion to protest the shooting death of Philando Castile by police in neighboring Falcon Heights three weeks ago. Police cleared the block or protesters, makeshift tents, camping supplies and other items on Tuesday. Police also arrested nearly 70 people for unlawful assembly, blocking Summit Avenue and other infractions.
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Other demands by the protesters included temporary shelters, that police be banned from wearing anything but street uniforms in the area and that the demonstrators be allowed to select police commanders to oversee the St. Paul Police presence around the protest.
A spokeswoman for Mayor Chris Coleman said they hadn't seen a formal application yet.
City Council members offered no guarantees and said they had no authority to order police to provide or do anything — the department is under the direct authority of the mayor in St. Paul.
Stark said he would try to contact various officials, including the governor and the mayor, with the intention of arranging a meeting with protesters.
"That's as much as I can do," Stark said. "Obviously, the governor makes his own decisions."