I just spoke directly to Chief Axtell and emphasized I wholeheartedly, strongly oppose SPPD presence in any way in support of MPD, who has escalated & exacerbated this moment of community grief to multiple flagrant points of violence. I have asked them to pull back our officers https://twitter.com/maragottfried/status/1265836289225605120

Throughout the course of these past few days MPD has maced, tear gassed and shot at reporters, children and countless protestors — who are both Mpls and St. Paul residents — who’ve done nothing wrong. This is the opposite of the standards we have for all police, especially SPPD

I will be following up directly with our Mayor to ask SPPD resources be immediately withdrawn. A standard mutual aid sharing agreement exists between our cities for law enforcement, but well, to be frank: I wouldn’t characterize what MPD’s doing as that. #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd

In the past two days, countless members of our communities - loved ones, friends, partners, their children - have been violently harmed by MPD’s response to these protests. We should be condemning that. We should be de-escalating, healing. Police have outsized power, MPD failing.

Property harmed isn’t the same as people dying or getting hurt. This moment hurts very badly as a community because it feels like too many in leadership aren’t learning the right lessons for how to support our communities through this or keep people safe/alive in the first place.

We keep putting the blame on the protestors and not taking a massive step back & recognizing how police inflame the problem after creating the wound in the first place. I’m so sorry, community, that this trauma is happening. I will use every avenue possible to uphold our values.