Minneapolis group is helping Kenosha protesters, heading to Washington next
The national fury over police brutality against Black Americans rose again overnight, this time with smoke and tear gas in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It was the second night of protests there after police shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back at close range while responding to a domestic violence call on Sunday.
Video of the incident has galvanized activists here in Minnesota, too.
When she saw the video, Deshann Sanchez, president of Justice Frontline Aid in Minneapolis, started collecting donations for “protest packs.” She and Matt Allen, the group’s vice president and a musician who goes by Nur-D, then drove the backpacks filled with tear gas solution, Gatorade and basic first aid kits to Kenosha.
“Lots of things on fire, lots of people,” she said about the scene in Kenosha Monday night. “You could definitely smell the tear gas as soon as you get out of the car.”
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She and Allen distributed the packs to individual protesters and volunteer medics before returning to Minneapolis early Tuesday morning.
Sanchez quit her job and cancelled a cross-country move to focus on racial justice work following the police killing of George Floyd. Next, she’s planning to lead a caravan to Friday’s Commitment March in Washington, D.C. The event will commemorate the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington and punctuate the nationwide unrest set off by Floyd’s death.
“[Because] the march itself was announced at the George Floyd memorial, [I wanted to give] the people who have shown out since day one an opportunity to go,” Sanchez said. “Being able to say I was present, and Minneapolis was present in that moment.”
Sanchez spoke with MPR News host Tom Crann. Hear their full conversation using the audio player above.