‘Cover Stories’ Archives
East Phillips Legislation Fails to Make it Off the House Floor
By CIRIEN SAADEH, The UpTake At a March 8 floor hearing, legislation from the Minnesota House that would have provided $20 million to the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute to build an urban garden and farm at the Roof Depot was discussed - mostly by members of the GOP who objected to the bill at an earlier committee meeting.“We objected to the bill on the fact the neighborhood doesn’t even own the property, but through aggressive activism has kinda hijacked the legislature and tried to intimidate the legislature,” said Rep. Jon Koznick (GOP - District 57A), one of several GOP members speaking against the legislation through a “minority report.” The minority report was authored by GOP minority members from the House Economic Development Finance and Policy committee. Koznick, as well as Rep. Pat Garofalo (GOP - District 58B) and other legislators, also spoke about their concerns with what they said was activist intimidation of legislators and staff. However, [...]
You Cannot Support the Environmental Violence of the Hiawatha Expansion While Claiming You Believe That Everyone Deserves to Be Safe
By ROBIN WONSLEY, Ward 2 Council This article originally appeared in the Star Tribune on March 14th, 2023 and is reprinted with permission. Two weeks ago a majority of the City Council looked a room full of Indigenous East Phillips residents in the eyes and voted to move forward with the Hiawatha Expansion Project at the Roof Depot site. Once again, Minneapolis is forcing East Phillips to bear the brunt of our city’s pollution. The democratic processes that are supposed to protect East Phillips residents have been ignored. East Phillips residents have been telling the Council for eight years that the Hiawatha Expansion project risks further endangering their health. They have shared stories of asthma, heart disease, and premature death from pollution–claims backed by the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians and the Twin Cities Medical Society. In the 2021 public comment period, the City received 1,051 comments opposing the Hiawatha Expansion project and only two in [...]
Free Leonard Peltier After 48 years and City to Demolish Roof Depot After 9 Year Community Opposition
Indigenous relatives and elders, East Phillips neighbors, and allies set up Camp Nenoocaasi at the Roof Depot site at sunrise on Tuesday, February 22. The peaceful camp was cleared by Minneapolis police that evening during the beginning of the winter storm. Several Roof Depot protectors were arrested. Photo Credit: Steve Sandberg Little Earth resident Nicole Perez confronts Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey at the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Rally on February 14 at East Phillips Park. She told Frey “Stop pretending to care about our children, give us our land back and we will use it in a good way to protect our children.” Photo Credit: Rachel Thunder By STEVE SANDBERG & H. LYNN ADELSMANOn February 6th there were two rallies at Hennepin County Government Center and City Hall. First to demand Leonard Peltier’s release from 48 years in a maximum security prison. Then followed a protest regarding the city’s plan to demolish the Roof Depot building so the city [...]
