White Nationalist Group Erects Memorial To Justine Damond; Mayor-Elect Calls Tactics 'Disgusting'
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Mayor-elect Jacob Frey said "hate has no place in Minneapolis" over the weekend after a white nationalist group reportedly left a memorial to Justine Damond outside a city police station.
On Friday, the group Identity Evropa reportedly erected a shrine to Damond outside the 5th Precinct building in south Minneapolis. Photos showed the display with candles, flowers, cards reading "United We Stand," and a framed photo of Damond.
According to the Star Tribune, the shrine was destroyed a day later, with the remnants of the candles littering the ground. Damond's picture had been removed.
On Saturday night, the city's mayor-elect called the tactics used by the white nationalist group "disgusting."
"I condemn the perpetrators and their tactics in the strongest possible terms," Frey said in a statement. "Identity Evropa and those who share their values have no place in our city. Hate has no place in Minneapolis. Period."
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that monitors hate groups, Identity Evropa emerged in 2016 as a white supremacist group focused on recruiting young people.
Damond, 40, was fatally shot in July by Minneapolis police officer Mohammed Noor. Before the shooting, the Australian native had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her home.
Shortly after Moor and his partner arrived at the scene, Damond suffered the fatal gunshot wound. She died in the alley.
The shooting remains under investigation by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Recently, however, tensions have risen as activists and Damond's family have demand answers.
Frustration was even heard from Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman. Earlier this month, he was recorded on video criticizing the pace of the investigation. He later apologized for making those comments.
Previously, Freeman had said a decision on charges would come by the end of the year.
