Hundreds of Minneapolis residents, if not thousands, took to the streets this weekend amid record new COVID-19 cases to celebrate Joe Biden’s projected election to the presidency.
The Minnesota Department of Health reported 5,454 new (confirmed or probable) COVID-19 cases Friday, which marked the first time the daily case count had surpassed 5,000. Friday was also the fourth consecutive day of record new cases in Minnesota.
The next morning, the media called the presidential race for Biden, prompting hundreds to celebrate in the streets of Minneapolis.
Celebration of Biden’s victory in front of the burned out Third Precinct in Minneapolis pic.twitter.com/PojOLSHRgT
— Max Nesterak (@maxnesterak) November 7, 2020
A large crowd gathered in front of the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct building to celebrate before marching down East Lake Street, according to video from the demonstration.
Thousands of people marching. It’s about Trump’s defeat but also for racial justice, police reform, climate change, affordable housing and higher wages pic.twitter.com/xz6EsPqCZV
— Max Nesterak (@maxnesterak) November 7, 2020
About a 1000 people walk west from the 3rd precinct rallying for social justice and some celebrating Biden’s win. pic.twitter.com/EGD8fF7Ni0
— Renee JonesSchneider (@reneejon) November 7, 2020
The impromptu demonstration was partially a celebration of Biden’s projected win but also a protest for police reform and racial justice, reporters on the ground said.
Gov. Tim Walz said he was on a run “on the shore of Lake Superior” when the race was called and encouraged Minnesotans to “get outside today but stay safe.”
My daughter Hope and I had just finished a five-mile run on the shore of Lake Superior when the race was called. Get outside today but stay safe, Minnesota! Carpe Diem. pic.twitter.com/hVBDLWJsC6
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) November 7, 2020
Minnesota again set a record for new cases Sunday, reporting 5,908 new confirmed or probable infections.
Attorney General Keith Ellison said it’s “not a fair criticism” for conservatives to point out the seemingly unequal enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions.
“No, that’s not a fair criticism. It’s like if somebody is speeding down the street and the police don’t see him and then the person the officer does catch says, ‘I’m giving you a ticket,’ and then the guy says, ‘well, you didn’t get that other guy.’ We have enforced the COVID restrictions as well as we can,” Ellison said in an interview last month with CNN.
“Back at the height of the public responses to George Floyd, we just got overwhelmed at certain points. But to the degree that we can enforce them, we do and we do it in an evenhanded way,” he added.
Ellison was responding to criticism from President Donald Trump, who accused state leaders of depriving “people of their First Amendment rights” after an Oct. 30 rally was restricted to 250 people.
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
