Tempers flare up between two Democrats on Twitter over Jamar Clark and Black Lives Matter

Tempers flared Saturday night as the debate over the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests related to the death of Jamar Clark turned into an intense fight on social media between two prominent members of the Minnesota DFL party.

At issue was Rep. Carly Melin, DFL-Hibbing, and her questioning of the status of the woman who was allegedly assaulted by Jamar Clark on the night Clark was shot by police. Clark later died, and his death has led to several protests in Minneapolis.

According to a statement from Minneapolis police, officers answered a call early in the morning on November 16 about an assault and were then alerted that the suspect "had returned to the area and was confronting paramedics and disrupting their ability to render aid" to the assault victim.

Melin wrote on her Twitter account "Anyone have an update on how the woman Mr. Clark assaulted is doing? I haven't heard much concern for her wellbeing."

This led to a back and forth that spanned several days with Javier Morillo-Alicea, President of the SEIU Local 26 and prominent DFL activist that included Morillo-Alicea telling Melin to "keep quiet" as she does not understand "cities and people of color and our community issues" and to "put down [her] phone" because she was "embarrassing" herself.

Morillo-Alicea also accused Melin of spreading "lies" and a "cops do no wrong" agenda that is "pathetic and wrong."

Another Twitter user interjected that Melin's statements were an example of why the "traditional White DFL has to go" because it is no better than Republicans, a statement re-tweeted by Morillo-Alicea.

The exchange between Melin, an iron range legislator, and Morillo-Alicea, a Saint Paul resident and political activist with close ties to Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges and Congressman Keith Ellison, highlights a "major rift between [the] urban progressive DFL and greater MN DFL on variety of issues" according to Ben Golnik, Executive Director to Minnesota House Republican Caucus, who weighed in briefly about the exchange via Twitter.

Below is the Twitter debate between Melin and Morillo via Storify.

Picture source: Minnesota House of Representatives, YouTube