Protesters continued to gather Saturday in downtown Minneapolis after the death of Amir Locke – a 22-year-old Black man – at the hands of police officer Mark Hennamen, including Locke’s father, Andre.
A crowd of several hundred people was gathered at 5th and 3rd streets between the Government Center and Minneapolis City Hall. They were chanting and various signs could be seen.
Some of the signs read “no justice no peace,” a common phrase encountered at protests related to police killings of Black Americans.
Others read “Frey Lied, Amir Died” and “Frey Resign,” referring to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
Locke was allegedly holding a handgun when he was shot Wednesday as a Minneapolis Police Department SWAT team was conducting a homicide-suspect search warrant at Bolero Flats apartments, said the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis. WCCO TV reported that it was a no-knock warrant.
These warrants received national attention after 26-year-old Black EMT Breonna Taylor was killed by Louisville Police who were executing a botched no-knock warrant in March 2020. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed a bill into law limiting the use of no-knock warrants in April 2021.
In 2020, Frey also issued a policy restricting the execution of no-knock warrants in the city requiring officers announce their presence prior to entry in all but exigent circumstances. However, body camera footage released Thursday shows that officers announced their presence as they were entering the Bolero Flats apartment, after they’d opened the door.
On Friday, Frey imposed a moratorium on both the request and execution of no-knock warrants in Minneapolis.
A sign for the Saturday protest near the Government Center said participants are calling for Hennamen to be charged with murder for shooting Locke. They are also calling for an unconditional ban on no-knock warrants as well as the resignation of Frey and interim Minneapolis Police chief Amelia Huffman.
A little after 5:30 p.m. EST, the protest group was on the move and hundreds of people could be seen marching the streets of Minneapolis. Light rail trains were expected to be delayed through the area. Just before 6 p.m., the crowd stopped at the 1st Police Precinct near 4th and Hennepin and by 6:30 p.m. the demonstration had ended at the Government Center.
As the protest was winding down, spotty graffiti was reported along the route.
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