At least 50 arrested after protests escalate outside Minnesota federal building

MINNESOTA – The local authorities declared an unlawful assembly after protests on Feb 7 escalated near a federal building just outside Minneapolis, leading to at least 50 arrests, the county sheriff’s office said.

The incident occurred outside the B.H. Whipple Federal Building that has become a staging ground for immigration agents and a hub for demonstrations against the crackdown in the Twin Cities in Minnesota.

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office noted that while “many individuals” peacefully assembled, “some agitators” hurled chunks of ice at law enforcement, striking a sheriff’s deputy in the head and breaking the windshield of a squad car.

“This is not the first time our vehicles have been damaged at this location,” the sheriff’s office said. “Dispersal orders have been issued. Individuals must leave the area immediately. Failure to comply will result in enforcement action.”

The agency requested support from the Minnesota State Patrol and the state’s Department of Natural Resources, which regularly offers conservation officers to assist law enforcement operations.

Of those arrested, 25 people were detained by state troopers for failing to comply with dispersal orders, the Minnesota State Patrol said. No weapons were used during the arrests, and one officer suffered minor injuries, the agency added.

“The Minnesota State Patrol respects the right to lawfully and peacefully demonstrate. Our role is to balance those rights with our responsibility to protect people, property and critical infrastructure,” it added.

Videos circulating on social media help piece together the events that transpired. Far-right provocateur Jake Lang posted on social media that he would hold a news conference at the building at noon.

A video shared on his social media page shows him in the back of a moving U-Haul truck, screaming into a microphone as the song Ice Ice Baby blared from the vehicle.

“We will not be replaced by Somalians,” Mr Lang yells, adding: “American men, stand now or be replaced. Stand now or be replaced. This is our country. Muslims go home.”

Around six men stand beside Mr Lang. One holds a wooden cross. Another appears to clutch a paintball gun, with its long barrel pointed at protesters following the vehicle. Bags of ice lie by their feet.

It is unclear what happened immediately after the U-Haul drove away.

In other videos, a phalanx of officers wearing neon jackets can be seen clashing with protesters, detaining many on the ground. NYTIMES