When on the spot, at a rally of more than 2,000 demonstrators, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Freya, declined to commit to defunding the police and to abolish the Police Department, a sea of protesters drove Mayor Jacob Frey out of a rally chanting “Shame” and “Go home, Jacob, go home”.
Jacob Frey of Minneapolis, a 38-year-old Democrat, civil rights lawyer, who swept into office in 2018 on promises to fix the broken relationship between the community and the police, showed up at an anti-police protest in Minnesota where organizers demanded he commit to defunding the police department, a proposal that is gaining steam among left-wingers and demonstrators.
Demonstrators booed Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey out of a rally on Saturday after he declined to commit to defunding the police. Read more about the protests in the U.S. here. https://t.co/zHv8ocIPXj pic.twitter.com/8WPMnyFXjP
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 7, 2020
Mayor Frey @Jacob_Frey says he doesnt want to defund the police. So the crowd led by @BlackVisionsMN tell him to leave. pic.twitter.com/DaJHJXPwRm
— CTUL (@CTUL_TC) June 6, 2020
An organizer said into the microphone
“Jacob Frey, we have a yes or no question for you … Yes or no, will you commit to defunding Minneapolis’s police department?”
When Frey didn’t answer the question, the organizer continued:
“What did I say? We don’t want no more police. It’s that clear … It is a yes or a no, will you defund the Minneapolis Police Department? It’s important that we hear this because if y’all don’t know, he’s up for re-election next year. And if he says no, guess what the f*** we gonna do next year.”
And then the mayor’s answered, send the crowd into a frenzy when he said:
“I do not support the abolition of the police department,”.
After that protesters began chanting, “Go home Jacob, go home! Go home Jacob, go home!” and they drove Mayor Jacob Frey out of a rally.
Jacob Frey is under fire from both Republicans and Democrats over his response to protests and violent unrest. He believes that the city’s police department must undergo “structural reforms” and that a “systemic, racist system needs to be revamped.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey showed up today at the protests. He was asked if he would commit to abolishing/defunding the police. Incredible to witness crowd hold him directly accountable. Man did a literal walk of shame. pic.twitter.com/v645mfIZHt
— Sana Saeed (@SanaSaeed) June 6, 2020
By Alex Ammohostianos
