Black Lives Matter holds peaceful protest at marathon
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
Black Lives Matter protesters demonstrated as planned at the Twin Cities Marathon Sunday, keeping the group's promise to stay off the race course but briefly blocked vehicle traffic near the finish line in St. Paul.
Last week, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Police Chief Tom Smith warned protesters that any attempt to disrupt the race would result in arrests.
Rashad Turner, the leader of the St. Paul chapter of Black Lives Matter, told his fellow marchers that the group would abide by its promise to city officials not to impede runners.
"So everyone here is clear, we're not going on the course. If you see someone go on the course, you know they're not a part of this," he said.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
As the group marched north along Western Avenue, a group of about eight counter protesters — including an African-American man carrying a Confederate flag — silently followed, but did not confront the Black Lives Matter marchers.
A St. Paul police officer in an all-terrain vehicle politely advised everyone to get out of the street.
Nevertheless the Black Lives Matter group continued on their way, blocking traffic for about 10 minutes. Thinking the group would attempt to shut down Interstate 94, more than a dozen Minnesota state troopers stood shoulder to shoulder at an on-ramp. But they moved away quickly as the protest headed for the sidelines of the marathon.
The demonstrators staged a brief die-in at Rice Street and John Ireland Boulevard, an intersection already closed to traffic for the race. Their Radio Shack bullhorns were no match for the music and announcer blaring from the marathon's high-wattage PA system.
The group continued to march alongside the last mile of the race, alighting at a field near the Cathedral.
While police had been prepared to make arrests, St. Paul police spokesperson Steve Linders says they didn't take anyone into custody.
"We're glad it was a peaceful day, we're glad it was a successful marathon. All in all, everything worked out," he said.
Kathy Ficken was among the more than 100 protesters.
On Sept. 24, a St. Paul policeman shot and killed her nephew Philip Quinn after officers responded to a call of a man threatening suicide.
Ficken said relatives called 911 that evening hoping authorities would come to Quinn's aid in his time of crisis.
"There's no sense in it, they could have helped Philip. They could have tasered him, but they shot him," she said.
Police say the investigation is still active and they're unable to comment on the case.
But after a request from MPR News, police did release the public portions of the personnel records for the two policemen who responded to that 911 call.
Officer Richard Maguire — who fired the fatal shot — received nine commendations and three reprimands in his seven years on the force, including two for squad car accidents.
Officer Joe LaBathe, an eight-year veteran, received 10 commendations and five reprimands. That includes a two-day suspension in 2011 for improperly forwarding arrest photos, which wound up in the hands of someone outside the department.
