Main Edition
US
FR
Keith Ellison, right. Will Minnesota's Attorney General practise what he protests? Credit: Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune via Getty Images
A bitterly cold day in the city of Minneapolis. We parked as close as we could to the broken door of a makeshift office in a run-down shopping mall on one of those endless listless roads that lead out of almost all American cities: gas stations, Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, pound stores.
It was toasty inside though — and anything but listless. Keith Ellison was the man we had come to see. It was 2006: few back then had heard of Barack Obama. But change was coming, via Mr Ellison. He was assured of winning his congressional seat in the November elections and becoming America’s first Muslim congressman, a black man, a convert to Islam.
I remember, in particular, the enthusiasm of the supporters — young white people mixed with first- and second-generation Somali immigrants, all of them based locally and fired up. Then there was the bustling energy of Mr Ellison himself. It was all very inspiring, and hopey and changey, and I wrote an enthusiastic piece for Radio 4’s From Our Own Correspondent singing the praises of America’s melting-pot genius.
Mr Ellison went on to swear his oath in Congress on a copy of the Qur’an, and to serve for several terms. He became well-known nationally when he predicted on TV — amid scenes of hilarity from so-called experts — that Donald Trump might win in 2016.
He is now the Attorney General of the whole state of Minnesota — a hugely important position.
He is a Democrat with power. He stands at the top of Minnesota’s political tree, next to the Governor, who is also a Democrat. The Lieutenant Governor: a Democrat. The Minnesota Secretary of State: ditto. So, too, the State Auditor (sounds boring but American state budgets are huge). Oh, and let us not forget Minnesota Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar, who may well become Joe Biden’s vice-presidential choice.
Join the discussion
Join like minded readers that support our journalism by becoming a paid subscriber
To join the discussion in the comments, become a paid subscriber.
Join like minded readers that support our journalism, read unlimited articles and enjoy other subscriber-only benefits.
SubscribeA surprisingly rational article considering that it was written by a BBC insider. But he is not the first to point out that the cities with the worst records for police brutality are run by Democrats. This is probably because progressive Democrats more or less encourage people to commit crime and sometimes the hard-pressed police just snap, murderously and unforgivably so in the case of George Floyd. Floyd’s killer had 12 complaints against him and this Democrat-run city should have fired him or put him on desk duty – although he would probably have struggled with using a computer.
Whatever, wherever you have progressive in charge, things will always become progressively worse – it is the inevitable consequence of their belief system.
Not a bad article, but it misses some points. The Americans I speak to in business are appalled by the actions of the police, they aren’t happy with the politicians who left him on the streets but more importantly they are appalled by the protesters and their disregard for the law. Floyd had a record of violence and his supporters are using violence. The “silent majority” don’t agree with it!
Do I read this right? American business people are not happy with the killing of a black man by the police but they are much more unhappy about the protesters’ “disregard for the law”. Well that explains a lot about American values. Thanks.
They don’t like anyone being killed. They get very upset by their own business being burnt down!
Presumably Justin Webb will be cancelled by the Bbc for these heretical views which contradict the adopted truth-Trump Bad/All Democrats good
Well, just another social engineering experiment. Don’t they call the USA the experiment.
They moon landing was a hoax. The 9/11 was an inside job. etc etc. Now SARS2 was real but the statistics were a hoax.
Now George Floyd is a hoax. because the whole story does not add up. It has been used by the elite to create social unrest. Eric Garner was strangled by six policemen in 2014 and I watched the video in horror. I hate that and I agree that is totally evil. I think this “I can’t breathe” is based on the Garner incident, he cried out “I can’t breathe” and people like Floyd’s brother are pictured in photos with “I can’t breathe” written on their T-shirts, before Floyd’s demise. The police car number plate says “POLICE”, that proves that it is fake.
Now another event, if it is true or not I do not know.
https://www.abc.net.au/news…
Rayshard Brooks
The police chief in the US city of Atlanta has resigned as protesters took to the streets hours after the fatal shooting by police of a black man.
Dozens of demonstrators took to the streets outside the restaurant on Saturday afternoon in a fresh wave of Black Lives Matters protests.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she accepted the resignation of police chief Erika Shields after the killing, with Rodney Bryant becoming the city’s interim police boss.
“…President Trump’s stoking of racial tension in the wake of the killing…”any actual evidence for this outrageous libel? Calling on governors and mayors to get a grip and re-impose law and order doesn’t qualify, sorry.
Have a look at the police number plate on the Floyd George arrest it says “POLICE”. Have a look at the arrested police officer’s photo, and the police officer in the video, they are different people, the wrong guy was arrested.