Minnesota State Patrol Cautions Against Visiting State Capitol
With the threat of unrest near the Minnesota State Capitol looming over the next several days, the Minnesota State Patrol has cautioned against visiting the area.
They addressed the matter in a couple of posts on the Minnesota State Patrol Facebook page. Their initial post on Thursday stated:
We are preparing for possible protest activity around the State Capitol over the next several days. While the Capitol remains a safe place, officials are asking Minnesotans who do not have any planned activity or business at the Capitol to consider visiting at another time.
While we support Minnesotans’ First Amendment rights to protest peacefully, anyone involved in illegal activity will be held accountable.
We are preparing for possible protest activity around the State Capitol over the next several days.
Visitors will notice some, but not all, security measures that are intended to keep people safe and protect property on the Capitol Complex.
We are tracking possible protest activity and stand ready to guard the capitol and protect state employees, visitors and peaceful protesters from harm. We will continue to enhance our response and change tactics as needed.
As they stated, peaceful protesters have every right to have their voice be heard, but law enforcement agencies across the country, as well as the National Guard, remain on high alert should things escalate into what is deemed to be criminal activity.
For the casual observer, it would be best to stay clear of the area altogether to avoid the potential of being caught up in the behavior of whatever crowd there may be.