At a press conference held Tuesday outside the Western District Police Station in Saint Paul, advocates demanded accountability from local law enforcement and an end to the criminalization of dissent. Civil rights leaders and community members are calling for all charges to be dropped against Minnesotans arrested while protesting and documenting during Operation Metro Surge. “We are asking for charges to be dismissed against all who stood up against the authoritarianism of t

Marcus Mitchell (left) was blinded in his left eye after being shot at Standing Rock as he stood to defend sacred water. Sophia Wilansky's (right) arm was blown apart when she was fired on by law enforcement while peacefully protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock. Nine years after the Standing Rock protests, two Water Protectors critically injured by law enforcement are awaiting decisions from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in appeals challen

Philip Vance has been in prison for 22 years, serving a life sentence for a murder he maintains he did not commit. Despite no physical DNA evidence linking him to the crime, Vance was convicted based on testimony of several jailhouse informants who have since recanted.  On March 24, Dakota County Judge Michael Mayer denied Philip Vance's fifth petition for post-conviction relief, a legal step that would have allowed new testimony and evidence to be examined in court. Miss Nik

As pressure builds on Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty to decide whether to bring charges in the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, the candidates seeking to replace her are signaling how they would handle the cases if elected.

Gov. Tim Walz has signed legislation, repealing the state’s recognition of César Chávez Day on March 31 and replaced it with Farmworkers Day. This action shifts focus away from an individual figure and toward the collective contributions of farmworkers, many of whom continue to face exploitation and injustice.

As Democrats in Minnesota Senate District 65 prepare for their endorsing convention on Sunday, March 29, questions about racial equity, transparency, and political influence in labor union endorsements are intensifying in one of the state’s most diverse districts.

The proposed Minnesota Civil Remedies Act (MNCRA) would end qualified immunity and create a new state-level cause of action allowing individuals to sue government employees who violate their constitutional rights.

Advocates say the treatment of Cornelius Jackson reflects deeper accountability gaps within Minnesota’s prison system, alleging that officials at Faribault Correctional Facility imposed punishment without evidence, failed to follow safety policies, and ignored repeated outreach from families.

Representative María Isa Pérez-Vega (DFL-Saint Paul), Vice Chair of the House Legislative People of Color and Indigenous Caucus, introduced legislation to repeal César Chávez Day. The proposal follows a New York Times investigation into the sexual abuse and predatory behavior by Chávez against young women, including Dolores Huerta, the co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association in the 1960s. Minnesota lawmakers and community leaders are moving with urgency to repe

Through Seeds Worth Sowing, Zedé Harut is building what she calls a “community welfare system,” a hyperlocal network designed to provide fast, stigma-free support and long-term stability in moments when traditional institutions fall short.

The Minneapolis police officer that shot and killed 22-year-old Amir Locke during a no-knock raid in 2022 is now a leader within the Minneapolis Police Department’s new Health & Wellness Division.

As Minneapolis continues to grapple with the legacy of the police murder of George Floyd and ongoing calls for accountability, a group of city leaders is pushing back against a proposed $40 million investment in a new police training facility—arguing the city should prioritize housing stability, youth programs, and long-promised investments in Black communities instead.

Criminal justice advocates held a press conference to highlight the disparities in anew legislative report from the Minnesota Department of Corrections showing that no Black or Hispanic incarcerated people were considered for early release in 2025 under the state’s new rehabilitation law. A new report from the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) shows that not a single Black or Hispanic incarcerated person was even considered for early release in 2025 under Minnesota’s

Nekima Levy Armstrong, Monique Cullars-Doty, and Jaylani Hussein held a press conference outside Target headquarters to set the record straight after reports claimed the boycott had ended. The grassroots boycott launched in Minneapolis in February 2025 will continue until the company restores its commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion and addresses community demands.

Supporters greeted the newly indicted community members after their initial hearing at Federal Courthouse in St. Paul on Feb. 27. Federal prosecutors have charged 30 additional people in connection with a January protest inside Cities Church in St. Paul, during the height of Operation Metro Surge, bringing the total number of defendants in the case to 39. The new charges were announced Friday Feb. 27  by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and stem from the January 18 protest whe