Somalis began resettling in Minneapolis after securing jobs at meat-packaging plants, and have since opened businesses and established deep roots in the city. Black and Latino shop keepers, already outraged by George Floyd's death, feel victimized again as city officials fail to stop looting and fires. The George Floyd protests in Minneapolis–Saint Paul are a series of protests that began on May 26, 2020. The city’s police chief said Officer Mohamed Noor’s race and ethnicity had nothing to do with the July 15 killing of Justine Damond, who was shot after she called 911 to report a possible rape. “This was completely different because of his ethnicity, and that’s what scares the hell out of us.”. A two-mile stretch of … Cloud last September, wounding 10 people before an off-duty police officer fatally shot him. Only England And Wales jurisdiction apply in all legal matters. "That whole neighbourhood is Somali businesses, stores, restaurants and all of that," said Anisa Mohamad, a member of the Somali community in Minneapolis. He sees Black, and then when he hears the name, the racism is even more pronounced," said Yussuf, who ran for Congress before dropping out and endorsing eventual winner Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. One viral video shows a Somali girl kicking back a tear gas canister thrown by police in riot gear. *Some names in this story have been altered in order to protect the identity of the protesters. Donate now. "The murder of George Floyd in my district is not a one-off event.". On Friday, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced that the ex-police officer who killed Floyd, Derrick Chauven, had been arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. The young activist Jama told MEE how even engaging with elders in the Somali community has not been enough to eradicate racism and prejudice. Still, most of the younger Somalis who grew up in the US have aligned themselves with the Black Lives Matter movement, especially after witnessing discrimination and racism at the hands of law enforcement, she said. "Somalis are known for their bananas," Ali said, chuckling. It's heartbreaking', - Khadija Ali, Somali American photographer. Police surveillance concerns US Muslims amid BLM protest crackdown, Landmark conference: 'People don't see Black Muslims as trailblazers. "I can't take the pain for the Black African Americans who were born here," said local activist Asma Jama. Minnesota is home to the largest Somali community in the United States, roughly 57,000 people according to the latest census figures, most of whom live in the Minneapolis area. On Thursday, she dismissed the notion that he was an affirmative-action hire, saying: “This is about an individual officer’s actions. Farhio Khalif, a Somali and women’s advocate, called Damond’s shooting “unacceptable” and said the incident has taken a toll on local Somalis. From Sunday until noon Friday, the city had logged 55 complaints to its civil rights division, many expressing concern or anger about the shooting. Police reinforcements have arrived to control massive crowds, firing stun guns and tear gas at protesters. State funding was allocated to similar programs to help keep the community engaged. Several were characterized as derogatory, discriminatory or anti-Muslim. The Somali officers on the force are seen as community role models, and are among the success stories of the immigrants in Minnesota. At least one death threat was made against Noor. Minneapolis has made an effort in recent years to hire more Somali officers to ensure the department “reflects the city,” and Hodges said that effort will continue. But there have been troubles along the way, too. Noor fired across his partner and through the driver’s side window, hitting Damond once in the abdomen. In the aftermath of the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man killed by a police officer who kneeled onto his neck while arresting him for a nonviolent crime, outrage in the community of south Minneapolis has boiled over into the angry demonstrations seen this past week. In this case, he noted, the union has been silent and the police chief spoke out against the officer’s actions. The problem of anti-Blackness exists in the Somali community as well, with the older generation not identifying as Black. Minnesota's governor said he will move to "fully mobilise the National Guard" after destructive Minneapolis-area protests that he says are "no longer in any way about the murder of George Floyd." "The war on drugs, mass criminalisation, and increasingly militarised police forces have led to the targeting, torture and murder of countless Americans, disproportionately black and brown. Like many of his peers, Ali, 20, who was born in Somalia and came to the U.S. when he was 13 years old, went to his first protest after the release of the graphic video showing Floyd’s murder. (City of Minneapolis via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. In November, nine men were sentenced on terror charges for plotting unsuccessfully to join the group and fight in Syria. Her election followed that of Abdi Warsame to the Minneapolis City Council in 2013. But at the end of the day, we have the same skin colour," she told MEE. ... Siyad Farah, 90, was born in northern Somalia and grew up in Mogadishu. Being seen as both Black and Muslim, Minneapolis resident Haji Yussuf said, sometimes means facing multiple forms of discrimination. He was the first Somali elected to a U.S. city council. Ali said she was proud to see Somali businesses supporting the demonstrations, donating food and supplies to help protesters survive. ... Just like in the Somali terrorist cases — this community is not a terrorist community.”. It's heartbreaking," Ali told Middle East Eye. Minneapolis hosts a large Somali-American community, the biggest Somali diaspora group in the United States, according to the American Community survey in 2017. Additional support comes from Knight Foundation, 3M, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. "It came from a Muslim business who couldn't give this guy the benefit of the doubt. Still, many activists and community members have said the killing opened the door for a conversation about racism and anti-Blackness within the larger Muslim community. Jama said that Floyd's killing has opened a Pandora's box of difficult conversations communities must have, conversations that include how to finally deal with systemic and institutionalised oppression, criminal justice reform and police brutality. “We didn’t do anything wrong,” she said. Ilhan Omar gained worldwide attention when she was elected to be the United States’ first Somali-American state legislator last November. Community, city and government leaders have worked to combat such violence, with programs including a pilot project designed to counter violent extremism by bolstering social services for Somali youth. Long Her, a Laotian immigrant, has operated a clothing store in St. Paul since 1991. They continued to protest. Race riots which started in the United States city of Minneapolis are spreading like wildfire across America. In this May 2016 image provided by the City of Minneapolis, police officer Mohamed Noor poses for a photo at a community event welcoming him to the Minneapolis police force. Mogadishu, the capital, suffers from frequent roadside bombings that kill hundreds of civilians each year. 'If you want to be part of the revolution, we as Muslims have to sit down and understand that we have the problem too'. If you see one eating a banana, she said, there's a good chance it was donated by a Somali business. Damond, a white, 40-year-old spiritual teacher who was engaged to be married in August, was shot by Officer Noor as he sat in the passenger seat of a police vehicle. "It's not just the Arab community, I think a lot of us in the Muslim community period, and it's, this is just as relevant to Somali people," Ali said. More Somalis live in Minnesota than any other state. Minneapolis Riots Took Everything. Bachmann also suggested Noor may have shot Damond for “cultural” reasons. A Brainerd man has pleaded guilty to arson for his role in the fire at the Third Precinct of the Minneapolis Police Department, in the riots following the death of George Floyd. 'I'm lost for words, I don't know what we're gonna do, how it's gonna work, but I feel that this is a revolution'. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The killing of an unarmed Australian woman by a Minneapolis police officer who is a Somali-American has turned an unwelcome spotlight on the city’s beleaguered Somali community, where many again find themselves on the defensive. Separately, a 20-year-old Somali-American went on a stabbing rampage at a shopping mall in St. A dedicated YouTuber, he joined a rally May 27 outside the Minneapolis Police Third Precinct with the intention of documenting it. "It's a fight that everybody has to look inside themselves and realise that what is happening now is a revolution," Jama said. Somalis began resettling in Minneapolis after securing jobs at meat-packaging plants, and have since opened businesses and established deep roots in the city. “What in the world is that supposed to mean?” he said. Abdirizak Bihi, another community advocate, said when other officers have fatally shot people, city leaders have typically reserved judgment until all facts are in and the police union has stood up for the officers. "I think because of what happened, a lot of people are looking to the Arab-Muslim population and saying, 'Hey, you know, you really do need to address these issues within our communities'," Ali said. #BREAKING: A young black man has been stabbed at the violent riots unfolding in Minneapolis. A CNN correspondent and members of his crew were arrested while broadcasting about violent protests in Minneapolis. Somalis also serve on the Minneapolis and Mankato school boards. Ali, the Somali-American photographer, said the area is "our community. $18,461 raised of $20,000 goal. CBS News © Middle East Eye 2020 - all rights reserved. ... It’s not about race or ethnicity.”. Black Muslims have long felt marginalised in communities predominantly made up of immigrant Muslims and white converts. They began coming to the US as early as the 1980s, but more emigrated in the 1990s to escape a civil war in Somalia. © Middle East Eye 2020 - all rights reserved. So, a white cop or a bad cop doesn't really see a difference. The killing has also caused some friction between the Black and Muslim communities, because Cup Foods, where a store employee called the police on Floyd to report a $20 counterfeit bill, is owned by a Muslim-Arab man. "We don't have these conversations about race.". Yussuf also runs a multilingual media company, through which he is documenting the ongoing protests. But Mohamud Noor, a community advocate who is not related to the officer, said the shooting “has nothing to do with the Somali community, period.”, “It’s easy to target individuals who are from a small minority community and say, ‘See, I told you so,’ rather than focusing on the issue we have, which is a police issue.”. It's our neighbourhood. ISIS militants cling to last square mile of land in eastern Syria. Minneapolis police have identified a suspect whom they believe helped initiate the riots and destruction in the city following the killing of George Floyd. F or five days and nights following the death of George Floyd on May 25, the city of Minneapolis was the scene of riots, arson, and looting. Nine people were shot in Minneapolis on Tuesday evening amid a spate of violence following the death of George Floyd, the Star Tribune reported.Shootings have risen sharply in the city over three weeks of unrest after Floyd, an African American man, was killed by Minneapolis police officers. Share. Through this multidimensional lens, the Somali community has also experienced anti-Blackness that is prevalent within the larger Muslim community. After some audience members booed Somalis at President Trump’s rally in Minneapolis, local leaders have tried to assure refugees that they are welcome. "I think, because in Minneapolis, especially where it happened, that's pretty much where the majority of the Minnesota Somali population lives.". Somali mall, Walgreens burned in Minneapolis riots set for $40M redevelopment Apartments, office and retail would replace Somali mall, Walgreens on Lake Street site. Sign up for the AP’s weekly newsletter showcasing our best reporting from the Midwest and Texas: http://apne.ws/2u1RMfv . We are here to change that'. Somalis are an ethnic group in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul (Twin Cities) urban area and makes up the largest Somali diasporas in the US.As of 2018, almost 103,000 people born in Somalia are living in Minnesota, and about 194,000 Minnesotans speak Somali, Amharic or a related language at home. "I think they are playing an integral role in this protest," she said. ", "It's beautiful to see a lot of Somalis come out," Ali told MEE. Somalis + Minnesota is made possible in part by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on Nov. 4, 2008. MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Due to a lack of evidence, a pawn shop owner will not be charged in connection to a deadly shooting that happened amid the riots in Minneapolis … While made up mostly Black Americans, other minority groups and white people as well have joined the Minneapolis rallies, facing tear gas and other riot weapons used by the police. Young Somali Americans have come out to the demonstrations in droves, pouring out their anger and frustration with what they see as a broken criminal justice system. We come together and light the candle as Minnesotans and treating us as different is unfair. In December, the Minneapolis City Council voted to divert $43,000 from the Minneapolis Police Department to create a youth outreach team for the area, Minnesota Daily reports. Multiple organised protests have taken place in recent days throughout Minneapolis, coupled with other angry spontaneous rallies. She noted the large number of Somali Americans participating in the demonstrations alongside the African-American community. Jama added that while she does not presently have expectations of proper criminal justice reform, she does hope that the demonstrations will bring about positive change for the Minneapolis community. 'It came from a Muslim business who couldn't give this guy the benefit of the doubt. “Everybody’s gotten to the point where, hey, you know, we don’t need more police, we need more intervention,” one organizer in attendance said. “We are Minnesotans. The former Minneapolis police officer seen in a video with his knee on George Floyd's neck before the unarmed black man died this week was taken … Since May 26, 66 people have been shot in the city, comprising 45 percent of all shooting … But there have been troubles along the way, too. The Somali community also is seeing its political influence grow. 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