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Demonstrators are speaking out against possible more charges for a protest at the Mall of America last month .
The group Black Lives Matter showed up at the Bloomington City Council meeting Monday night.
In December, a large group held a protest at the mall and police decided to shut down stores.
The city says it's considering charging organizers who kept promoting the rally after being told it wasn't allowed on mall property.
Store owners say they lost money after being forced to close.
The city of Bloomington also wants restitution and will ask for law enforcement overtime costs of more than $25,000 be paid back if charges are filed.
A decision should happen next week.
The "large group" was nearly 3,000 people. 75 Stores closed for several hours on the Saturday before Christmas because they were afraid these 1,000's of people would get out of control and storm their stores. It's not like they don't have a history of that - 250 Police Officers were called to the Mall.
Johnson told protesters at Monday’s meeting that failing to hold mall demonstrators legally accountable for their actions would land the city on a slippery slope of selective justice.
“The city prosecutor’s role does not have the luxury of selectively prosecuting cases that come before us,” Johnson said. “We cannot let politics or public opinion interfere with prosecutorial discretion.”
Johnson added: “There is a cost to civil disobedience.” Her job, she said, is to turn suspected lawbreakers over to the criminal justice system, “which will treat them with dignity and respect.”
Turns out that the City and Mall of America knew this was planned (Social Media posts) - the Organizers were warned that there was a specific Law against what they planned inside the Mall and another location outside the Mall was offered to them. The little darlings didn't want to be outside in the cold weather, so they deliberately and knowingly Broke the Law and dared the City and Mall to charge them.
The Minnesota Supreme Court has backed the mall’s right to keep protesters from using it as a venue. In a 1999 decision, the court held that the Mall of America is a private entity and that it has the right to exclude demonstrators. The city sent a letter to Black Lives Matter organizers before the protest, citing the court decision and warning them that the city would enforce the mall’s private-property rights.
Now they are threatening both the City and the Mall with retribution if they press charges. "Justice" should mean that the Law applies to everyone equally ..... but the 'protestors' want Special Treatment. If they have the courage of their convictions, then the 'protestors' should be willing to take the consequences that go along with that.
No matter what the cause, people need to be held accountable for their actions. They had an opportunity to work with the community and educate people outside - while letting people go inside to do what they came for. In the end, the protesters decided to be selfish and be disruptive on private property. I also hope those store owners that had to shutdown pull their receipts from previous years over those same hours, and file a civil suit against the protesters. Then you will have the type of justice the trespassers are claiming to protest for.
What about the fear they installed into shoppers their. Parents with kids, worrying for their kids.
They had no idea what was going on or if it could turn violent.
What a group of self loathing wanna be victims!!!!
The "large group" was nearly 3,000 people. 75 Stores closed for several hours on the Saturday before Christmas because they were afraid these 1,000's of people would get out of control and storm their stores. It's not like they don't have a history of that - 250 Police Officers were called to the Mall.
Johnson told protesters at Monday’s meeting that failing to hold mall demonstrators legally accountable for their actions would land the city on a slippery slope of selective justice.
“The city prosecutor’s role does not have the luxury of selectively prosecuting cases that come before us,” Johnson said. “We cannot let politics or public opinion interfere with prosecutorial discretion.”
Johnson added: “There is a cost to civil disobedience.” Her job, she said, is to turn suspected lawbreakers over to the criminal justice system, “which will treat them with dignity and respect.”
Turns out that the City and Mall of America knew this was planned (Social Media posts) - the Organizers were warned that there was a specific Law against what they planned inside the Mall and another location outside the Mall was offered to them. The little darlings didn't want to be outside in the cold weather, so they deliberately and knowingly Broke the Law and dared the City and Mall to charge them.
The Minnesota Supreme Court has backed the mall’s right to keep protesters from using it as a venue. In a 1999 decision, the court held that the Mall of America is a private entity and that it has the right to exclude demonstrators. The city sent a letter to Black Lives Matter organizers before the protest, citing the court decision and warning them that the city would enforce the mall’s private-property rights.
Now they are threatening both the City and the Mall with retribution if they press charges. "Justice" should mean that the Law applies to everyone equally ..... but the 'protestors' want Special Treatment. If they have the courage of their convictions, then the 'protestors' should be willing to take the consequences that go along with that.
No matter what the cause, people need to be held accountable for their actions. They had an opportunity to work with the community and educate people outside - while letting people go inside to do what they came for. In the end, the protesters decided to be selfish and be disruptive on private property. I also hope those store owners that had to shutdown pull their receipts from previous years over those same hours, and file a civil suit against the protesters. Then you will have the type of justice the trespassers are claiming to protest for.
they are JUST as bad as the racist whites were before the civil rights!! they are no better than the KKK
just because they are black they think the laws should not apply erick holder and the president agrees!!!
SUE THE
Reminds me of the scene from "Good Will Hunting" when Matt Damon is defending himself in court and cited 'free property rights" as a way to get out of a grand theft auto charge. (except, Matt Damon's character was a like smarter than these people).
Now they are threatening both the City and the Mall with retribution if they press charges. "Justice" should mean that the Law applies to everyone equally ..... but the 'protestors' want Special Treatment. If they have the courage of their convictions, then the 'protestors' should be willing to take the consequences that go along with that.
No matter what the cause, people need to be held accountable for their actions. They had an opportunity to work with the community and educate people outside - while letting people go inside to do what they came for. In the end, the protesters decided to be selfish and be disruptive on private property. I also hope those store owners that had to shutdown pull their receipts from previous years over those same hours, and file a civil suit against the protesters. Then you will have the type of justice the trespassers are claiming to protest for.
What about the fear they installed into shoppers their. Parents with kids, worrying for their kids.
They bad no idea what was going on or if it could turn violent.
What a group of self loathing wanna be victims!!!!
This here......one thing to protest another to destroy buildings and injuring people. Charge everyone of them for blocking streets and the loss of income others had to endure.
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