|
Dear Neighbors,
Many of you have reached out asking what is the plan for tonight. How will the city and state keep us and our community safe?
I have spoken with Chief Arradondo, Mayor Frey and Governor Walz’s team. I have been in communication with our neighboring suburbs, too. This is the plan for tonight. The State forces will lead (both state patrol and MN National Guard), and MPD and others will assist them.
There is a curfew in effect from 8pm-6am through at least Sunday. This curfew affects everyone unless you are seeking safety, medical care, are commuting directly to and from work, are a member of the media, or are currently homeless. This curfew is in place to allow first responders the ability to navigate the city and quickly respond to areas that are in need. We need to give them that space.
Governor Walz has taken over the coordinated response in all local jurisdictions in our metro area, and has activated the entire national guard for the first time since WWII. In coordination with the Minneapolis Police Department, State Troopers and other local police departments they are putting together the largest police response the state of Minnesota has ever seen in order to enforce peace and security. This is the biggest difference between last night and tonight. Numbers. We expect to see a much larger presence in the city tonight. This is because we also anticipate thousands more people coming into our city with the specific intent NOT to protest but to specifically to create unrest and destruction.
The next biggest difference is that the coordinated response will not be waiting as long to enforce the curfew. Last night the hope was that folks would adhere to the curfew and that numbers would thin allowing for a greater separation between protesters and those committing acts of violence. They do not plan to wait as long tonight.
We are experiencing a level of anarchy that we cannot tolerate in our city. The peaceful protests of sharing pain and rightfully calling for change are being co-opted by groups that are intentionally coming to our city in order to sow chaos. They are not our neighbors and they are not acting in the name of racial justice. They are here to harm our community and we will not allow it to continue.
I know many of you are angry and scared. Some have asked what you can do directly. The most important thing you can do is stay inside tonight. The Governor’s strategy is to separate those coming here to do harm from our neighbors and righteous protesters. Governor Walz has made it very clear, they will be enforcing this curfew strictly. The best way to help with that is to stay inside.
I also encourage you to reach out to your neighbors. Talk to them. See what the needs of your block are and lend a hand where you can. Exchange numbers. Check-in and see how they are doing emotionally. We are a strong and resilient city, especially when we come together. We will get through this.
Metro Transit has suspended their services through the weekend.
The City’s website is currently under cyberattack and may be unavailable.
Ward 13 phone and voicemail systems are disrupted, so emailing me is the best way to contact our office: Linea.Palmisano@minneapolismn.gov (Please note I am receiving far more emails than I have capacity to answer in the midst of responding to this crisis, so I would ask that you only email if you have any critical issues or questions at this time so we can focus our limited ability to respond on those as we are able to.)
911 (always) and 311 (weekdays) remain operational. 911 is experiencing several times the average number of calls right now.
Be kind to one another, stay safe and stay home everyone,
Linea Palmisano
|
