1 Of 8 Arrested In MSP Airport Black Lives Matter Protest Remains Jailed
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — One of eight people arrested during a flash protest that briefly tangled holiday travel at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport remained in jail Thursday, with the others facing orders to appear in court later.
A day after protesters blocked traffic and prompted the closing of two security checkpoints, the Airport Police Department released reports with information about who was arrested and why. The airport protest swelled after more than 100 people aligned with the Black Lives Matter movement diverted from the Mall of America, where they were ordered to leave.
The group says the airport was its main protest target and used the mall disturbance as a decoy. They have been trying to draw attention to the shooting death earlier this year of a black man by Minneapolis police officers, an incident that remains under state and federal investigation.
Hennepin County jail records showed a 30-year-old was being held in connection to the protest. He is accused of obstructing officers with force or threat.
Most of those arrested were released within hours. One 18-year-old woman was transported to an area hospital at her request. Airport spokesman Patrick Hogan said she didn't sustain injuries.
The people arrested at the airport were from 18 to 36 years old. Seven were from Minnesota and one listed a Massachusetts address. Five of them are men. Most face charges of unlawful assembly and disorderly conduct.
Four protesters were cited for trespass, disorderly conduct or both after arrests at the Mall of America but details on them weren't available. The Bloomington city attorney's office was closed Thursday and not expected to reopen until Monday.
In their reports, airport police said they encountered resistance from the people they arrested.
The mall had sought a court order blocking the planned protest. A judge on Tuesday barred three organizers from attending the demonstration, but said she didn't have the power to block unidentified protesters from showing up.
(© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
