As Clark decision looms, protesters gather

Carrying signs demanding justice, several hundred people gathered Saturday afternoon in downtown Minneapolis to call for the prosecution of two police officers in last year's fatal shooting of Jamar Clark.

Those at the peaceful rally outside the Hennepin County Government Center heard from speakers and spoken-word artists, held banners and chalked messages on the wall such as "No to a police state," and "By any means necessary."

Several groups, including Black Lives Matter, the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar and various labor unions, were represented among the diverse crowd. Police officers watched from nearby, but there were no arrests.

Activists have demanded that Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze, the officers who fatally wounded Clark, a 24-year-old unarmed black man, be charged with murder. A decision is expected any day from Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman.

The November shooting on Minneapolis' North Side sparked weeks of demonstrations outside the city's Fourth Precinct headquarters. Police have said that Clark was shot when he reached for an officer's gun. Witnesses dispute that account, saying he was handcuffed when shot.

Freeman announced recently that he will not take the case to a grand jury, as is traditional in officer-involved shootings. Protesters called his decision a step in the right direction, but said it's not nearly enough to bring justice to the community.

Minneapolis NAACP President Nekima Levy-Pounds, activist Mel Reeves and James Clark, Jamar's adoptive father, were among those who spoke on Saturday.

Clark questioned whether police have been truthful in saying that his son reached for an officer's gun, adding that police should admit it if they've made a mistake. "What happened to him could happen to anyone," he said.

Levy-Pounds urged activists to also work within the system, saying that more people should consider running for elected office. Turning her attention to city officials, she vowed that Freeman will be out of a job in 2018 "if he does not uphold the law [and prosecute officers]."

After the two-hour rally, about 50 people marched toward the North Loop, saying its rapid development and upscale housing prices are symptomatic of income inequality.

The protest wound through downtown before ending in front of the Bachelor Farmer, a restaurant co-owned by Gov. Mark Dayton's sons, Eric and Andrew. Eric Dayton came outside and listened to the speakers call on his father to root out corruption in the state's largest police force. He declined to comment to the media.

On Thursday, Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau warned activists that authorities will not tolerate any violence that might come on the heels of Freeman's decision, whatever it is. Any protest that interferes with public safety, including the blocking of streets, will result in arrests, she said. Police also released a video that showed people throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails during the Fourth Precinct occupation.

At a Friday news conference, Levy-Pounds said Harteau's remarks inflamed the situation. Mayor Betsy Hodges later said she regretted "some of the images" in the video that did not reflect the majority of peaceful protesters.

Liz Sawyer • 612-673-4648