MINNEAPOLIS, MN—On Sunday, May 31, the Minnesota Department of Public Health (MnDPS) announced that approximately 150 people were being arrested for “curfew violations” during protests at I-35W and Washington Avenue.
The arrestees allegedly ignored orders to disperse. The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) added that “the group on Washington Ave has been encircled by law enforcement. One firearm has been recovered near the location of the group.”
Emergency alerts about the curfew – which began at 8:00 p.m. – were reportedly sent to cellphones at 7:45 p.m. Shortly before the arrest announcements, the MPD and MnDPS both also issued curfew warnings to the public. “Please go home,” Tweeted the former.
Curfew violation is considered a misdemeanor, according to the MPD, and the MnDPS clarified that “even peaceful protestors” who break curfew will be arrested.
The St. Paul Police Department (SPPD) posted a Tweet saying that its officers are also “assisting with the arrest of a small group of people at the State Capital for curfew violations.”
Over 155 people were arrested at night in Minneapolis and St. Paul on Saturday, May 30, as announced by the MnDPS. Charges faced include curfew violation, weapons and/or narcotics possession, or rioting.
The arrests were made by the Minnesota Multi-Agency Command Center (MACC). 7 and 5 firearms were confiscated by the State Patrol and MPD respectively. The SPPD also stopped numerous vehicles with missing license plates and found “tools that could be used for destructive purposes” inside them.
“Make no mistake about it, the State Patrol didn’t do this alone. We relied heavily on the relationships we have developed over the history of our organization,” said Minnesota State Patrol Colonel Matt Langer. “We are never perfect and there are always lessons learned. But our goal was accomplished.”
