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INBOX: Mpls Mayor Jacob Frey and CMs Andrea Jenkins and Alondra Cano issued a statement on 38th & Chicago, which activists have held as an autonomous zone since George Floyd was killed there. There's no decision here on re-opening although there is pressure to do so...
This comes a day after Council President Lisa Bender issued this statement: https://twitter.com/lisabendermpls/status/1351724250403540999?s=20
These statements are confusing and there's a lot of subtext! Here's what it means to the best of my knowledge (thread): There's a ton of pressure to re-open the intersection and also pressure to keep it an autonomous zone.
The Mayor and CMs who represent the area want to reopen it, but that comes with a political risk. So the mayor has been trying to get the council to sign onto a letter to show unified support of the decision to re-open George Floyd Square. see: https://www.startribune.com/after-shooting-minneapolis-officials-face-renewed-pressure-to-open-38th-and-chicago/600007067/
also read @deenafaywinter's recent piece: see: https://minnesotareformer.com/2021/01/11/volunteers-who-help-manage-george-floyd-square-work-with-the-bloods-gang-but-not-police-heres-why/ &
The Star Tribune editorial board said the city needs to decide to reopen 38th and Chicago and Mayor Frey was quoted as saying: "Clearly we need a decision." https://m.startribune.com/minneapolis-needs-a-decision-on-38th-and-chicago/600011922/
"Clearly we need a decision" is a funny quote coming from the mayor because he's the one with the power to make the decision! So other council members, like Lisa Bender, are like, we're not going to sign your letter to give you political cover.
They think the mayor either needs to make the decision or it has to go through the proper council decision making process. Having 13 council members sign onto a letter could feel like a vote/official decision... but there's a process for that including public hearings!
But who wants public hearings when a bunch of people are likely to show up in opposition?!
So here we are: Council President Bender (and others) say they're not going to sign onto Frey/Jenkins/Cano's letter. Either he makes a decision or it goes through the council's process.
So here we are: Council President Bender (and others) say they're not going to sign onto Frey/Jenkins/Cano's letter. Either he makes a decision or it goes through the council's process.
And now today's statements from Frey/Jenkins/Cano underlining how much community engagement they've done about the re-opening decision (but not actually announcing a decision) and criticizing Bender for not being "willing to come together"
CM @CunninghamMPLS tweeted yesterday: "The mayor doesn't need our permission to make hard decisions." https://twitter.com/CunninghamMPLS/status/1351578738622926853?s=20
And here's CM @jeremiah4north. I take this as saying he also isn't going to sign Frey's letter https://twitter.com/jeremiah4north/status/1351731380057763840?s=20
tl;dr -- Mayor Frey (w/ CMs Jenkins and Cano) want the council to co-sign re-opening George Floyd Square so he doesn't shoulder the political hit for breaking up the autonomous zone. But some council members say the mayor should own his own decisions
forgot to add. Here are the demands from Meet on the Streets, which they say must be met before they cede the square: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1imey1mzBoCnmhaV1JhQ5GPy1dfqeTEL8/view
