Black Lives Matter

Black Lives Matter Minneapolis released the following statement regarding  young leaders of color under attack from MOA and the Bloomington city attorney:
The Mall of America and Bloomington police decided to shut down stores during a peaceful gathering on Saturday where 3,000 community members sang carols and chants dedicated to black youth slain by the police.
City of Bloomington attorney Sandra Johnson says she will seek restitution for “loss of profits” and police resources from young people of color she claims to identify as organizers. These carols honoring Black youths Tamir Rice and Mike Brown should have been welcomed with the same warmth and spirit of generosity as the 7,000+ gathering to sing in honor of a young white man who lost his life to cancer. Instead Saturday’s group was met with riot gear.
As a community, we are saddened by Mall of America and attorney Johnson’s decision to misdirect public resources to protect corporate profits instead of supporting justice for Black people at this critical time in our nation’s history.
It’s clear that the Bloomington city government, at the behest of one of the largest centers of commerce in the country, hopes to set a precedent that will stifle dissent and instill fear into young people of color and allies who refuse to watch their brothers and sisters get gunned down in the streets with no consequences.
We also must be clear:  #BlackXmas was not organized by any individual or small group, but was a collective response and effort by the 3,000 community members and families in attendance who can no longer remain silent to the injustices perpetrated upon their communities.