Opposition protests clash in downtown Minneapolis

Protesters arrived at Minneapolis City Hall Saturday afternoon.

Minneapolis police were on hand to clear protesters from the road and return them to the permitted area.

Heated exchanges broke out between opposing demonstrators in front of city hall. Aerial footage of the scene showed several physical altercations between protesters.

Conservative activist Jake Lang organized an anti-Islam protest in front of City Hall. Lang encountered a counter-protest organized by the People’s Action Coalition Against Trump. Lang was charged with assault on an officer, civil disorder and other crimes in connection with the Jan. 6 riot before President Trump pardoned him.

The St. Paul Federation of Educators released a statement saying the board of directors has agreed to support the Day of Action.

The day of action is planned for Friday in response to Operation Metro Surge. Minnesotans are asked not to go to work, school or go shopping.

According to the SPFE, the three demands of the day of action are:

• ICE needs to leave Minnesota now.
• The officer who killed Renee Good must be held legally accountable
• No additional federal funding for ICE in next budget

The federation stated in part:

“We find ourselves – once again – at a time when we must live up to our values ​​to protect the lives of our students and their families. Our union has never backed away from difficult and difficult choices.

Legal expert Joe Tamburino joined WCCO Saturday morning and participated in the federal investigation into Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.

He called the Justice Department’s investigation a “prolongation,” called for calm and discussed next steps.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey are under federal investigation for an alleged plot to obstruct federal immigration agents, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.

One of the sources, a U.S. official, said the investigation stemmed from statements by Walz and Frey about the thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents. deployed in the Minneapolis area in recent weeks.

Subpoenas will likely be issued as part of the investigation, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.

Professor David Schultz, an expert on First Amendment law at Hamline University and the University of St. Thomas Law School, said he doesn’t expect the investigation to hold much water.

Schultz explained that Walz and Frey’s public comments fall under speech protection, noting that the bar would be incredibly high if the federal government tried to argue that either of them verbally encouraged a “true overt act of obstruction.”

“There is no instance on record, say in the modern history of the First Amendment, where simple criticism amounts to obstruction of justice,” Schultz said, adding that it is not surprising to him that President Trump would use the DOJ to make life even more difficult for Walz and other Minnesota officials.

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Families affected by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests are concerned about the safety and well-being of those left behind.

Scarlett, a 2-year-old girl, lives in a Minnesota shelter thanks to a Delegation of Parental Authority form.

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Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobsen said his agency and other state officials were aware of and prepared for planned protests this weekend.

“We want to be there to be helpful. We want to be there to keep the peace and, again, let’s be Minnesotans. Let’s be those who want to do things the right way, protest, share your opinions, share your values, share your thoughts, but do it in a way that doesn’t incite violence, that doesn’t bring more harm,” Jacobsen said at a news conference Friday afternoon.

This includes a protest that could pass through downtown Minneapolis, as well as a counter-protest planned in the same area.