Ellison: Protests A Response To An 'Outrageous Situation'
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Rep. Keith Ellison was a guest on WCCO Sunday Morning this week, and he spoke with Esme Murphy about the encampment at the 4th Precinct, where protesters are demanding justice following the fatal police shooting of Jamar Clark.
While Ellison said there are several safety concerns regarding the encampment, the congressman said he understands what is driving the protests. He said it's not just about Clark or the Minneapolis Police Department, but a part of something bigger.
"I could never lose sight on what's propelling this whole thing, which is the fact that many people of color, low-income people and even a lot of white people feel that police mistreat them a lot," he said.
Related: Ellison Calls For Protests To 'Evolve Beyond Encampment'
He added that even if some protesters are taking desperate measures, they are doing so in response to an "outrageous situation."
"This is a serious problem," Ellison said. "We cannot take away from it."
Protesters have been camping out in front of the precinct on Minneapolis' north side since the shooting of Clark on Nov. 15. They are demanding the release of any video that investigators possess.
"Here's my take on this whole situation," Ellison said on Sunday. "When Mayor [Betsy] Hodges and I asked for the Justice Department to investigate this case, and they agreed immediately, that was a good thing."
The congressman expressed confidence in Vanita Gupta, the head of the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department.
"She believes that releasing the tape immediate would impede the investigation," Ellison said, adding that the video should be released as soon as it's safe to do so.
He said what happened in Chicago, in regards to the release of video in the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald, was unacceptable.
"We shouldn't do what happened in Chicago – 400 days after the shooting incident and then the tape gets released," Ellison said. "That's outrageous."
In the course of the 7-minute interview, Ellison also spoke about tactics used by protesters and police, guns and the Planned Parenthood shooting in Colorado.
Watch the full interview above.
