Notices by Unicorn Riot (unicornriot@mastodon.social), page 9

After many evictions of Camp Nenookaasi, a large encampment providing shelter to unhoused people in Minneapolis, residents, legislators, and housing providers are pushing for ways to transform the future of the city's response to homelessness.

https://unicornriot.ninja/2024/camp-nenookaasi-brings-minneapolis-policies-against-its-unhoused-residents-to-the-forefront/

NEW: Federal and State Police Raid Three Homes in Atlanta Leading to One Arrest Amid ‘Cop City’ Investigation

https://unicornriot.ninja/2024/federal-and-state-police-raid-three-homes-in-atlanta-leading-to-one-arrest-amid-cop-city-investigation/

Enclave Rabia Caracol is an anarchist social center in Tijuana, Mexico.

Unicorn Riot visited Enclave and talked to some of the collective members about the goals of their project, the situation in Tijuana, and their vision of a world without hierarchy or authority:

HD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qxuiRvLl88

NEW: FBI Labels Anti-Fascists and Anti-Racists as Violent Extremists ✍️ by @extremearturo

https://unicornriot.ninja/2023/fbi-labels-anti-fascists-and-anti-racists-as-violent-extremists/
- another marker in a common theme of conflating militant #protest for social justice with deadly #terrorist violence within the United States.

A few hundred people are gathered on Pennsylvania Avenue outside the White House ahead of today's #FreePalestine rally:

Protesters by the White House have been placing "Murdered By Israel" posters featuring the names and pictures of Palestinian children killed in the ongoing Israeli bombing campaign in Gaza.

NEW: An older white man drove through pro-Palestinian protesters & brandished a knife on Sunday in Minneapolis. The attack is part of a rising trend of violence on pro-Palestinian protesters in the US

Full story, video & image galleries 📹👇

https://unicornriot.ninja/2023/pro-palestine-protest-attacked-in-minneapolis/

NEW: Minneapolis City Council Rejects MPD Sergeant’s Workers’ Comp Settlement

In what appears to be a first in city politics, the Minneapolis City Council voted to reject former Minneapolis Police Sergeant Andrew Bittell’s workers’ compensation claim of $145,000. With over 23 years on the force, Sgt. Bittell had a violent history of beating and abusing community members and gained nearly a half-million dollars in salary from 2018-2021.

https://unicornriot.ninja/2023/minneapolis-city-council-rejects-mpd-sergeants-workers-comp-settlement/

From 2020-22, tax-payers paid over $22M in workers’ compensation settlements to 144 MPD officers. Tax-payers are further paying over $875K/month in disability pensions for at least 169 former officers who left the force since the murder of George Floyd.

https://unicornriot.ninja/2023/minneapolis-city-council-rejects-mpd-sergeants-workers-comp-settlement/

The Policy & Government Oversight Committee approved seven other former MPD officers' workers’ compensation payments totaling $873,500 on Oct. 2.

Two weeks before that they approved $1,395,000 in workers’ compensation settlements with 11 former officers.

https://unicornriot.ninja/2023/minneapolis-city-council-rejects-mpd-sergeants-workers-comp-settlement/

The denial of Sgt. Bittell's settlement was made during the Oct. 2 Policy & Government Oversight Committee meeting.

Councilor Vetaw was the only one of five council members present who voted yes while Wonsley, Johnson, Koski & Chavez all voted no. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6aCvC_D33w&t=2s

“These payouts are going to officers that have done egregious acts of misconduct towards residents & also have not been held accountable.” Wonsley said she’s “committed to working with [her] colleagues to figure out how we rein in the blank check that keeps being signed to MPD.”

https://unicornriot.ninja/2023/minneapolis-city-council-rejects-mpd-sergeants-workers-comp-settlement/

Council member Wonsley said the settlements are “a massive liability” & “a major financial burden” on residents & property owners who are seeing their taxes rise as they’re “literally footing the bill for hundreds of workers’ comps claims by MPD officers.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI0VthHgm6M&t=230s

Former Minneapolis Police Sgt. Bittell was receiving salaries at the top end of MPD’s pay scale. From 2018-2021, he was paid $454,339. The year after beating Stallings he took in $140,449, which is 204% higher than the average MPD salary. He was paid over $100K each year 2018-2020.

Full story Minneapolis City Council Rejects MPD Sergeant’s Workers’ Comp Settlement: https://unicornriot.ninja/2023/minneapolis-city-council-rejects-mpd-sergeants-workers-comp-settlement/

Minneapolis Police Sgt. Bittell was involved in many incidents where community members filed reports on him. Non-profit organization Communities United Against Police Brutality tracks police complaints and their data shows 10 known complaints listed against Andrew Bittell.

View here: http://complaints.cuapb.org/police_archive/officer/2071/

Sgt. Bittell gained widespread attention from his actions during the 2020 George Floyd Uprising. Footage from May 2020 show him ‘hunting’ for people & leading a brutal beating on Jaleel Stallings. Stallings later won a $1.5M settlement from the assault.

https://unicornriot.ninja/2023/minneapolis-city-council-rejects-mpd-sergeants-workers-comp-settlement/

Inmates, workers in the prison’s factories who had worked all week, peacefully refused to go back to their cells after not getting showers or rec. Although it’s unknown what led to the inmates choosing to go back into their cells later in the day, two inmates were sent to segregation after refusing; at least one was reportedly written up for riot. During the incident, which started Sunday morning, no officers were hurt or taken hostage and they were free to move around.

https://unicornriot.ninja/2023/civil-disobedience-inside-minnesotas-stillwater-prison/

NEW: Civil Disobedience Inside Minnesota’s Stillwater Prison

In the midst of a near-record heat-streak, around 100 people incarcerated in Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater staged an act of civil disobedience by refusing to go back to their cells for a staff-induced lockdown on Sept. 3. Men housed in B East expressed grievances over no air conditioning, no clean or cold water, and whole units intentionally being locked down with no recreation time nor showers.

https://unicornriot.ninja/2023/civil-disobedience-inside-minnesotas-stillwater-prison/

Hearing news of Sunday’s prison protest, family members of inmates, community advocates, and press appeared outside the prison. Marvina Haynes, the sister of Marvin Haynes and Alissa Washington, the fiancé of Cornelius Jackson, spoke to Unicorn Riot on Sunday. Both Haynes and Jackson claim innocent of the charges against them and are housed in Stillwater.

Marvina hosted a press conference outside the prison the next day. Video features Sunday & Monday protests:

https://vimeo.com/862144344