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#WeChargeTerrorism Makes Some Bold Claims About Racial Injustice in America

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A demonstrator rallys the crowd of about the 200 people in a snow storm during the Black Lives Matter protest in front of the Minneapolis Police Department 4th Precinct building on Plymouth Avenue in North Minneapolis on Monday, November 30, 2015. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

A demonstrator rallys the crowd of about the 200 people in a snow storm during the Black Lives Matter protest in front of the Minneapolis Police Department 4th Precinct building on Plymouth Avenue in North Minneapolis on Monday, November 30, 2015. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

Black Lives Matter protesters in Minneapolis have continued their efforts to shut down the fourth precinct, even after four armed white supremacists shot five protesters on November 23. The activists are protesting the death of Jamar Clark, a Minneapolis man who was allegedly killed by police while handcuffed on November 15.

According to the Black Lives Matter Minneapolis Facebook page, the group wants activists and supporters to “join the community in saying: ‪#‎WeChargeTerrorism‬ to send a message that attacks by armed terrorists against our movement will not be tolerated, and continued terrorism from the Minneapolis Police Department must end.”

Many activists took to Twitter to condemn Hennepin County Attorney, Mike Freeman, for not charging the suspects (Allen Lawrence Scarsella, 23, Joseph Martin Backman, 27, Nathan Wayne Gustavsson, 21, and Daniel Thomas Macey, 26) with terrorism. Black Lives Matter activists pointed out the reluctance of the  justice system to call out and condemn white American terrorists.

Black and white activists made their voices heard via Twitter and documented the events of the night as the mayor, Betsy Hodges, urged protesters to leave the area. In a statement written yesterday, Hodges promised more transparency and continually warned protesters of the hazards their occupation can have on the community:

There has been gun violence in the surrounding area. Beyond the reprehensible shootings of last Monday night, there have been shots fired in the neighborhood on subsequent nights.

The crowds blocking Plymouth Avenue and access to the precinct have caused emergency vehicles and first responders to be redirected, which leads to delays in responding to real, urgent needs of residents and protesters.

We have been dismayed at false medical calls for help. These false calls put in danger anyone who calls when there is a real emergency, be they residents or protesters — not to mention first responders themselves.

Sadly, the continued presence at the Fourth Precinct has attracted people from outside our neighborhood and our city who intend to cause harm, people with violent agendas that are not aligned with peaceful protesters. Some of them launched Molotov cocktails at the precinct, and other Molotov cocktails were discovered before they were launched. Extensive property damage has been caused to Fourth Precinct property and vehicles. In addition, the situation has attracted known gang members and others known for criminal behavior.

We deplore near-daily threats to burn down the precinct and kill or harm officers. These threats put our residents, peaceful protesters, and our entire neighborhood at risk.

Many of Hodges concerns place blame on the activists for the increase in criminal activity, even though they were the ones who were violently attacked. Here are some of the best Twitter reactions to last night’s events.

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