Brawling Minneapolis City Council nominees may face expulsion from MN Democratic Party.

Minnesota Democratic Party Considers Expelling Members Involved in Political Brawl

Chaos Erupts at Minneapolis City Council Seat Nomination Event

The Minnesota Democratic Party is considering expelling members involved in a brawl that broke out at a political event to nominate candidates for a Minneapolis City Council seat. The incident left at least two people injured and caused an uproar among supporters of the two candidates.

Video Footage Shows Supporters of Both Candidates Pushing and Shoving Each Other

Video footage posted on social media showed the disturbance began after supporters of Minneapolis Council Member Aisha Chughtai took the stage, which caused an uproar among supporters of her challenger, Nasri Warsame. Some Warsame supporters then jumped on stage, shouting, banging on tables, and waving signs. As supporters of both candidates pushed and shoved each other, a party official repeatedly banged a gavel and tried to quiet the crowd but was ignored.

Party Chair Plans to Call Emergency Meeting to Consider Banning Anyone Involved in the Assaults

The head of the state Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), Chair Ken Martin, said on Twitter that he plans to call an emergency meeting later this week to consider banning anyone involved in the assaults from the DFL Party, an affiliate of the national Democratic Party. Convention chair Sam Doten called the behavior embarrassing and adjourned the event without a nominee being chosen, saying it was no longer safe. It wasn’t immediately clear Sunday how the party would proceed with choosing a nominee.

Mayor and Party Chair Denounce Violence

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and DFL Party Chair Ken Martin both denounced the violence in statements on Twitter. Martin apologized to Chughtai and her supporters and staff, while Frey said that physical intimidation, threats, and harassment have no place in our democracy or our politics—not at conventions, not at city council meetings.

Call for Those Who Incited Violence to Be Removed from the Party and Criminally Charged

Bridget Siljander, who was on the stage with other Chughtai supporters when they saw people punching, shoving, and pushing each other on the floor, said, “It was complete chaos. I was scared some of us might die.” Siljander added that those who incited the violence should be removed from the party and criminally charged.

At Least Two People Injured

At least one person was treated at a hospital for injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening. A second person was treated at the scene. Minneapolis police spokesman Brian Feint said that the investigation is ongoing.

What We Expect from Candidates and Their Campaign Teams

DFL Party Chair Ken Martin said, “Harassment and violence are unacceptable, and we expect candidates and their campaign teams to work hard to curb such behavior when it comes from their supporters, staffers, or volunteers. Warsame and his team took the opposite approach at today’s convention by escalating the situation and encouraging conflict.”

Conclusion

The incident at the political event to nominate candidates for a Minneapolis City Council seat is a reminder that violence has no place in our democracy or our politics. It is important for candidates and their campaign teams to work hard to curb such behavior when it comes from their supporters, staffers, or volunteers. The Minnesota Democratic Party is taking steps to address the situation and ensure that such incidents do not happen again in the future.