Hey y'all, there is a fraudulent Venmo account circulating with our name on it. At this time, the Minnesota Freedom Fund DOES NOT HAVE A VENMO. Do NOT send funds there.
Wow. So much support from all over the country + the world! We are overwhelmed with gratitude for everyone who has provided support at this time. Please also consider donating to Reclaim the Block () + Black Visions Collective ()
Good morning. Let's talk about "where the money went" and where it's going. All protest-related bail so far that has come our way has been paid and we're going to keep that up. At the onset of all this we set aside $10K for protesters, because it's what we had - not enough (1/??)
UPDATE: We are now being told that the National Lawyers Guild number is the best one to call for bail support: 612-444-2654. All calls should be directed to that number. The Legal Rights Center's number should no longer be used.
Please contact County Attorney Mike Freeman (612-348-5550/citizeninfo
@hennepin
.us), Mayor Frey (612-673-2100), and the City Attorney's office (612 673-3000) and demand that they release people who have been detained on low-level charges and for protesting during a PANDEMIC
To say again: we are paying, and have paid, all protest bail that's come our way. There are a lot more people in jail on bail. Now, we can help on a scale impossible last month. We want to spend this money down to get people out of cages (ICE too) and we want to do it right.
Y'all showed up 4 Minneapolis & we ain't done
RIGHT NOW Black freedom fighters rising up, lives on the line everywhere -ATL, Chi, Denver, NYC, Louisville - check the news see where else
U know what 2 do - our sister community bail fund links in the thread below
#GeorgeFloyd
Standing in solidarity w/ communities in Minneapolis & Louisville and beyond. We encourage support to our partners providing bail support for people arrested at demonstrations.
#FreeThemAll
@MNFreedomFund
:
@BLMLouisville
:
THAT'S where the money is going that doesn't go to protesters: bail. We are a volunteer community fund who until last month was doing all we could to pay a handful of misdimeanors each month, steadily paying, getting funds back, raising more $ when we could, doing it again.
Now, thanks to you, we have money. We also have a massive influx of volunteer interest, which we are activating. Which is exciting, and vital, because we'll need people power, not just cash, for what comes next: mass liberation. We'd paused donations to adjust - now, we work.
Part of fighting pre-trial injustice means making sure people aren't pleading guilty on bullshit charges, like being hit with Riot while on a friend's porch, which happened.
We are working with a group of arrestees who will help coordinate support for those fighting charges.
This is the part where transparency gets exciting. We get to talk about all the people sitting in jail who didn't take plea deals, sitting in jails pre-trial. We can share about the race and class disparities of those jailed pre-trial. And we can take action we'd only dreamed of.
We stand ready to pay all protest-related bail (that isn't for Nazis - we're here for community).
But what about "catch-and-release" protesters? Many people had no bail but were scooped up and charged, and now have ongoing legal costs.
"Support" starts with legal representation, court fees, and transportation, and starts with $150k. That can scale up as the project gets set up and costs start getting documented. We aren't going to leave folks hanging, just like we aren't going to stop paying bail. Speaking of,
Without jeopardizing the safety of the folks we bailed out we paid well over $200k in the weeks since the uprising alone. We are working on doing more.
SUPPORT BLACK YOUTH MOVEMENTS RIGHT NOW
#GeorgeFloyd
Urgent need 4 supplies & support in the streets. Give 2 the groups on the ground -
@BlackVisionsMN
,
@reclaimtheblock
, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar, Northstar Collective (medics), yall add others here
Our pinned Tweet mentions $50 million to empty Hennepin jail. Not a talking point - a mission. We pay for those who can't afford it. That's the ~150 humans we've found in Hennepin who are in on bail. Ramsey = ?, bad data system, but we're researching and pressuring there to learn
Last update for today THREAD
First a reminder
โNobody in the world, nobody in history, has ever gotten their freedom by appealing to the moral sense of the people who were oppressing them.โ -Assata Shakur
Where we're at ๐
Fam (had to delete last one)
Your support - I mean, DAMN. U want ppl out of cages - we're on it, always have been, always will (until abolition)
MOST IMPORTANT you're also amplifying & funding BLACK FREEDOM FIGHTERS risking arrest & their lives in the streets like... [THREAD]
Appreciate all those calling for transparency. We see yโall. Our values and mission have not changed since 2016. Be on the lookout for things coming on our end. Be well.
@dog_rates
@reclaimtheblock
Just a heads-up to the humans, we are taking donations again now after our pawse, with goals that match the scope of the resources everyone's generosity gave us! The orgs above remain great uses of $ though ๐ถโฅ๏ธ
Hey all. The number being thrown around for our $ spent on bail in 2019 is the $ of bail we *couldn't get back* from the courts. We kept our books that way. Last year we spent $69,836 freeing 266 folks from county. About another $5k a month for ICE bonds. Hope this helps.
If you or someone you know is arrested in a protest, please contact the National Lawyers Guild hotline 612-444-2654 where volunteers are waiting to assist and connect you to MFF for bail needs.
Overwhelmed w/ support - TY
& if our donation link wasn't working - usually it's bc PayPal is too busy, try again in a few usually works
& spread the love to other movement orgs too - drop links below
TY for your patience as we focus on bail support
keep the pressure on
ALL GO - DO NOT STOP amplifying & funding BLACK FREEDOM FIGHTERS like Black Visions Collective ()
@BlackVisionsMN
- help by dropping other BLACK FREEDOM FIGHTER's links here and everyone go wild with the funds
#GeorgeFloyd
The cash bail system punishes the poor and society's most vulnerable. Illinois just voted to ban it, but our State Senate is considering a bill that would make the system even crueler by barring nonprofits from paying the bail of those who can't afford to pay it themselves (1)
Weโre gonna need you
@GovTimWalz
to do better then vauge promises of change. Defund the Police. End Money Bail. Rebuild our small BIPOC owned businesses.
Former Officer Chauvin's actions were horrific. His arrest is a good first step toward justice for George Floyd. But it doesn't change the systemic problems and persistent inequities that led to his death or the pain our communities live with every day. Weโre committed to change.
See how this works fam?
How many protesters r police & prosecutors jailing on PC holds right now, 4 how many days?
How long would 600+ people we bailed out (sub $1000 bails ea.!!!) been caged bc prosecutors set high bail 2 coerce a plea?
Who profits?
Who dies?
#Abolish
checkin in quick - sorry not updating more -- most of our people are TAKING BACK OUR STREETS 4
#GeorgeFloyd
Protester phone
#s
below (write on yr arm). We're still on when bail is needed.
means everything that ppl are doing whatever they can - KEEP THE PRESSURE ON
#ABOLISH
If you were arrested in MN for George Floyd protests, were released, are now preparing to fight your case: arrestees are self-organizing w/support from MFF and National Lawyers Guild-MN. If you haven't connected to this project, emailย protestsupport at mnfreedomfund dot org.
This month our people showed up and put $850,000 to work. Now, 91 more people = released from jail and immigration detention. So many others are awaiting trial in the most inhumane conditionsย because they can't pay the ransom of bail in a PANDEMIC. This has to stop.ย
#EndCashBail
UPDATES: Minnesota protestors who had been detained by police in recent months were doxxed because state law allowed law enforcement to post their personal information online ๐งตโด
Right now, Rep. Mary Franson is introducing a bill that would make it illegal for non-profits to pay bails for people who are legally innocent and being detained pre-trial simply because they don't have money.
Tell your representative to oppose this bill!
The Minneapolis Park Board moved Monday to clear out one of the two large homeless camps that had set up in Powderhorn Park, after conditions there had become increasingly unsafe.
Fam, so far
we freed 6 more people this week from jail and ICE
10 more last week
86 more in 2020
Hennepin Co jail is around 450, not empty but lowest in many years
to paraphrase
@prisonculture
,
Each of those people a whole world
Take heart, fam, take heart
#FreeThemAll
Kim Potter, has been released from jail. Her $100k bail was paid with no conditions. When we talk about the disparities w/n jailing, this canโt be clearer. Black, Brown and Native persons are often given higher bails with conditions for lesser chargers.
#EnoughMN
MFF appreciates the support we have received but asks that you donate to these amazing orgs instead:
Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence
Racial Justice Network
Communities United Against Police Brutality
Black Lives Matter Minneapolis
NAACP MPLS
CAIR-Minnesota
We have protestor bail support - get us a referral through LRC or NLG's jail support:
Legal Rights Center 612-337-0030
After hours - National Lawyers Guild 612-444-2654
More thread ๐
Appreciate everyone's support. Situation still evolving - a quick update 1:45pm central. THREAD: MFF is on standby: waiting to hear if protesters are stuck in jail on cash bail. Then, if protest organizers want MFF to bail them out, we will. Coordinating with NLG & LRC. AND--
There is a LOT happening - inc so much support from y'all, we can't keep up. Will update as we can but things on the ground are changing fast. Thank you we see you and LOVE that everyone is stepping up their game and political analysis.
More thread ๐
But Chauvinโs conviction does not root out systemic racism in Minnesotaโs law enforcement agencies, and it doesnโt answer the nationwide calls for racial equity and criminal justice reform that George Floydโs death inspired. (2/6)
We at Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF) stand with the people of Minneapolis, Kenosha and countless other cities seeking to raise awareness around the injustices and harm that continue to plague our friends, families, and community members,
give like crazy to the BLACK led orgs in the streets like Black Visions Collective ()
@BlackVisionsMN
- help by droping their links here and everyone go wild with the funds
Weโve witnessed: โขPpl held on 36+ hr holds with no bail, slowing down the process โข$300 bails are set as a โplace holderโ amount for what will become a no bail required (NBR)
๐จBREAKING:
@RAICESTEXAS
,
@Rapid_Defense
&
@aldea_pjc
just filed lawsuit, O.M.G. v. Wolf, against DHS & DOJ demanding the immediate release of all families being held in family detention centers due to COVID-19 eminent risk.
Today marks two years since George Floyd was murdered by the MPD.
George Floyd was a father, a brother, a partner, and a friend. But to officers who showed up to arrest him on May 25, 2020, George Floydโs life was worth less than the counterfeit $20 he was accused of spending.
@hermit_hwarang
We're on standby: if organizers on the ground want MFF to help we will, or sometimes people / movement orgs set up their own fundraiser and THOSE ARE SUPER IMPORTANT. Keep an eye out over the next couple days for bail funds for protestors you can contribute to...
Derek Chauvin is out on bail.
Our work has always been to fight against this reality of two criminal legal systems: one system that disadvantages Black, Native, and Brown peoples and the poor, and one system that privileges white bodies and those with disposable income.
It is now up to each of us who believes in racial and social justice to move ahead with the same level of commitment and action we felt when we first witnessed George Floydโs murder. (3/6)
We recognize there may be incidents and arrests this week related to people attempting to exercise their right to vote and their right to peacefully assemble.
Community Bail Funds across the nation need you in response the recent uprisings as protesters seek justice George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
Please share and donate to Knoxville, Charleston and Columbia,SC.
@bailfundnetwork
The cash bail system fuels structural racism in the criminal justice system. It is an abusive system that disproportionately takes a toll on Black people, Indigenous people, and People of color.
Just for the record, when Hennepin County prosecutor Mike Freeman brags about reducing the jail population by 200 people,
He's taking credit for the 70 people we've freed in 2020.
WE did that. WE freed them and pressured him to act.
Keep calling, info:
Almost 1 year since the brutal murder of George Floyd, his family will finally receive some semblance of justice with the sentencing of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer who slowly suffocated Floyd to death in front of a crowd of horrified bystanders. (1/6)
We remember George Floydโs family and friends on this day, and we lift up the loved ones of every person lost to police violence.
We will keep fighting to build systems that respect the humanity and dignity of all members of our community.
If passed, this blatantly unconstitutional bill would further criminalize poverty and prevent thousands of primarily Black, brown, and Indigenous Minnesotans from accessing the right to bail guaranteed by both the U.S. and Minnesota constitutions.
This initially wasnโt publicized widely due to safety concerns, but we are able to share this with you now because this policy has changed because of our work, and the information has been temporarily taken down. 7/
Our constitution guarantees a right to bail, but in practice the rich can buy their freedom while poorer members of our community languish behind bars because of a lack of resources. MFF is devoted to leveling the playing field, SF415 would stop us from doing our work (2)
#RestoreTheVoteMN
has just passed the Minnesota Senate and is headed to the governorโs desk ๐๐
A momentous night for tens of thousands of Minnesotans who will finally be able to vote and participate fully in their communities ๐ณ๏ธ
Last week (The week of September 7th), we bailed out six people from Hennepin and Ramsey jails and paid an immigration bond. We plan to share these updates frequently moving forward.
We are now working with community partners and legislators to advocate to make this temporary fix permanent through legislation that would protect the personal information of people who are arrested. Stay tuned. /end
โWHAT MOST PEOPLE DONโT GET IS THAT THE CURRENT CASH BAIL SYSTEM IS A MODERN INVENTION ALMOST TOTALLY UNIQUE TO THE U.S. CREATED TO PUNISH & EXTRACT WEALTH FROM POOR COMMUNITIES WHILE LINING THE POCKETS OF THE FOR-PROFIT BAIL INDUSTRY AND THE INSURANCE MEGA-CORPS WHO BACK IT.โ
If you've been arrested in recent protests and need legal support to fight the charges, please call 612-444-2654 and leave a message with your full name, email, and your citation # if you have it.
Let's be clear about what SF415 is designed to do: punish the poor while making sure that the for-profit bail industry continues to make money off of people's suffering. It should come as no surprise that the American Bail Coalition backs the bill (3)
AN IMPORTANT THREAD!
For many of us working to dismantle unjust systems of oppression, itโs important to remember how ready and willing our opposition is to vilify the people caught up in a racist system like cash bail.
Update: many hours since first arrests, and no one has been released, including those ordered released without bail before 9. Many have "bail" set at $78 but the jail says it's not "actually bail" just a placeholder. They aren't letting us pay b/c jail will "have to return it."
MFF and its allies will work endlessly to prevent SF415 from passing. People who can afford bail shouldn't be given any more presumption of innocence or protection under the law than those who can't. Minnesota needs to end the cash bail system, not make it stronger (4)
Today's tragic
#SCOTUS
decision should serve as a wake-up call for anyone who has not yet connected the struggle for abortion rights with the criminalization and abandonment of Black, brown, Indigenous, immigrant, and poor communities.
Our opponents don't just want to shut us down.
They want to destroy the community's ability to organize mutual aid and collective action on behalf of people who are disproportionately Black, brown, Indigenous, and poor.
First person is home safe. And now "allowed" to pay our first bail. Will update along the night. Looking at two dozen "unlawful presence" charges for eviction defenders
As Rep. Franson tweeted today, the goal of this legislation is specifically to put the Minnesota Freedom Fund out of business.
But we know it's bigger than that.
Internal affairs
612-348-8318. Public Safety Facility
612-348-5112. City Hall
612-348-5112
Let them know that any one being held for 36+ hours with no bail is unjust.
#EnoughMN
Police in Minneapolis have kettled upwards of a thousand people on the freeway, and have begun making arrests of trapped protesters. Theyโve stated that everyone attending the protest is under arrest for unlawful assembly and public nuisance.
(1 of 3) The resignations of Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter and Chief Tim Gannon are the literal minimum of what needs to happen to bring justice for the killing of Daunte Wright. MFF demands that state and local officials, including Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliot