Demonstrators Protest Duluth Police Gear Purchase
DULUTH, Minn. (AP) -- Demonstrators wearing dark hoods and masks tried to interrupt a Duluth City Council meeting as members considered purchasing additional protective gear for police officers.
The protesters chanted "No Riot Gear for the DPD" before the council considered the $84,000 purchase of helmets with visors and elbow and chest pads. Opponents of the purchase have tied it to the Line 3 oil pipeline replacement project making its way through Minnesota regulatory system.
Pipeline opponents have long criticized police for what they say were violent tactics at the Standing Rock pipeline protests in North Dakota. Minnesota Public Radio News says protesters have been gearing up to stop construction along the pipeline route after the Line 3 project received approval from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission over the summer.
The council approved the purchase Monday night.
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