Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., one of the most outspoken critics of the Trump administration’s immigration and fraud crackdown in her state, urged protesters on Friday not to "let your anger get the best of you" by throwing items at federal law enforcement.
"We are justified in the rage that we feel as Minnesotans with the paramilitary force that is roaming our streets and the brutality in which our neighbors are being treated and the inhumane ways we are being described, but giving in to that rage gives them license to terrorize more," Omar said, according to The Hill.
Tensions have escalated in Minneapolis over the past week following two shootings involving federal law enforcement.
On Jan. 7, Renee Good, 37, was shot and killed as she struck an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer with her car.
On Wednesday night, a federal officer shot an illegal alien in the leg while attempting to make an arrest.
Authorities said the officer was attacked with a shovel and broom handle.
Omar said Minnesotans have the right to record and document federal officials but that there is "no justification for people to give them the PR that the [Trump] administration is looking for," according to The Hill.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said a protester threw a chunk of ice at a city police officer during a protest last week.
Others graffitied a hotel, according to The Hill.
Additionally, protesters threw fireworks at law enforcement during a protest last weekend, with federal officers deploying tear gas in response.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety held a joint news conference with state law enforcement agencies Friday afternoon ahead of a weekend of planned protests in Minneapolis.
DPS Commissioner Bob Jacobson urged protesters to demonstrate peacefully and said the Minnesota National Guard is on standby in case local police need backup.
"I’m counting on Minnesotans," Jacobson said. "I’m counting on those who are going to be in attendance at those locations to keep the peace, to show others that Minnesota is a safe place where people can demonstrate and share their opinions without having any violence."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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