BY ED FELIEN Just before sunrise on Feb. 2, the MPD SWAT team bursts into a downtown apartment: “Police!” “Search warrant!” “Get on the ground!” Amir Locke is asleep on a couch, under a blanket. They kick the couch. Amir gets up, turns to the officers. He is holding a…
BY ED FELIEN The following is correspondence between Mel Reeves and me. On Aug. 2, 2013, I wrote to Mel, “We’re planning a demo at the MPD Federation headquarters under the slogan: ‘Get rid of bullies, racist thugs and murderers!’ Would you like to participate? Speak about Terrance Franklin? Can…
BY ED FELIEN Last July we called Jeremy Schroeder “The foolish public servant who wants to do good.” We wrote: “When I was a small boy attending Mass at St. Helena’s Church, I remember a sermon by my favorite priest, Father Don Schnitzius. The way Father Don told the story…
BY ED FELIEN In one of its last acts of 2021, the City Council approved a framework for beginning public discussions about what kind of development should happen when they re-construct Nicollet Avenue between 29th Street and Lake Street. The press release announcing the plan said: “The broad project goals…
BY ED FELIEN The North Star Caucus of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has recently circulated, for discussion and approval, an outline of strategic objectives for 2022. They call for a United Front Against Fascism and the need to “jettison a growing tendency towards a ‘go it alone’ approach…
BY ED FELIEN You survived a pretty rough first term of office. Standing up to the president of the United States, sending him a bill for the added security necessary to guarantee him a safe environment to hold a political rally, was the easy part. You were getting good marks…
BY ED FELIEN “When he comes out of the hole and sees his shadow, then it’s six more weeks of winter.” It makes sense. If the groundhog comes out of his hole on Feb. 2 in Minnesota, and he sees his shadow, that means there’s most likely still snow on…
BY ED FELIEN Democrats are being seriously trolled by Republicans. Paul Gosar sent out a crudely modified anime cartoon depicting him cutting the head off Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC). Marjorie Taylor Greene, during the 2020 campaign, posted an image on her Facebook page of her holding an automatic rifle alongside photos…
BY ED FELIEN The huge and spontaneous outpouring of gratitude on the Seward Neighborhood Forum for Cam Gordon was begun by Jim Welna: Wanted to thank Cam Gordon for his service to our community and the City of Minneapolis as a member of the Minneapolis City Council since 2006. He…
BY ED FELIEN We were feeling so hopeful, so optimistic. We were congratulating ourselves on our great victory over ignorance. We lit a cigar to celebrate. And then it blew up in our faces. We made some terrible mistakes. The banner across the front of the stage in Powderhorn Park…
BY ED FELIEN Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor shot and killed Justine Ruszczyk Damond in July of 2017. He was convicted of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Damond had called 911 to complain about an incident of domestic abuse happening in her alley. When the squad car passed her in…
BY ED FELIEN The five police officers involved in the Terrance Franklin killing have decided to get separate lawyers. That’s a big sign. It probably means Officers Andy Stender, Ricardo Muro and Mark Durand might be willing to tell the truth about what happened in the basement when Officers Lucas…
BY ED FELIEN On Friday, Oct. 8, the Minneapolis City Council voted seven to six to reverse course and put the city’s water yard in the Phillips neighborhood at the Roof Depot site. This was done primarily at the urging of Council President Lisa Bender. She said the city has…
Mayor: 1. Sheila Nezhad 2. Kate Knuth City Council: Ward 1: Elliott Payne Ward 2: Cam Gordon Ward 3: Steve Fletcher Ward 4: Phillipe Cunningham Ward 5: Jeremiah Ellison Ward 6: Abdirizak Bihi Ward 7: Nick Kor Ward 8: Andrea Jenkins Ward 9: Jason Chavez Ward 10: Aisha Chughtai Ward…
BY ED FELIEN Southside Pride sent the following to the two candidates running to represent the 6th Ward on the Minneapolis City Council, Abdirizak Bihi and the incumbent, Jamal Osman: “Southside Pride will be publishing a Guide for Voters in the 6th Ward in our upcoming Riverside edition coming out…
Columns by Ed Felien