Frey under fire for ‘sabotaging the deal’
In late August, protesters gathered at Chute Park, about 15 minutes from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s home, after organizers changed their plan to rally outside his Nicollet Island-East Bank residence due to safety concerns. Activists from the Climate Justice Committee MN, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), and other groups organized the demonstration to highlight frustration over the city’s handling of the Roof Depot site.
The dispute centers on the purchase price for the property, which the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute (EPNI) hopes to transform into a community-owned urban farm. While Frey’s office recently agreed to meet with EPNI to discuss lowering the price, the group remains $6 million short of the city’s $16 million asking price. A recent appraisal valued the land at about $3.7 million.
“We’re here today because Mayor Jacob Frey is sabotaging the deal for the Roof Depot, charging the East Phillips community $16 million to purchase what has been appraised for only $3 million,” said Noah Schu of the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice. “The city should give that land to the people of East Phillips for free.”
Frey’s team later canceled the meeting, citing frustration with social media posts promoting protests near the mayor’s home. His wife, Sarah Clarke, addressed the controversy in an op-ed: “I support the right to peaceful protest. But there is a profound difference between voicing dissent in public spaces and bringing that dissent to the doorstep of an elected official’s family home.”
Earlier, EPNI held a press conference urging the city to reopen discussions. “Now is not a time for half measures,” said Kieran Morris, EPNI outdoor farm coordinator. “With funding from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Grant, we could build raised beds, hoop houses, and all the infrastructure an urban farm requires.” Morris added that the project could serve as “an example that other communities facing pollution and disenfranchisement can follow.”
The state senate recently failed to approve a second round of funding to support EPNI’s purchase. “The neighborhood remains over-polluted due to a history of redlining and other racist city planning,” said C.J. McCormick of the Climate Justice Committee.
Activists also pushed back against Frey and Clarke’s comparisons of left-leaning activists to right-wing extremists. “The mayor and his wife want to compare activists on the left to white supremacists like Vance Boelter and the coward who killed those children yesterday,” said Chu, an activist at the rally.
“This rally grew a lot in scope,” added Climate Justice Committee member Charlie Berg. Alongside Roof Depot, protesters criticized the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party for withdrawing its endorsement of mayoral candidate Omar Fateh and for what they described as “Trumpian” rhetoric from Frey allies. Several signs at the rally featured side-by-side images of Frey and former President Donald Trump.
“We see that as Trumpian, in that it’s election meddling,” Berg said. He also likened the city’s encampment sweeps to “Trump’s purge in D.C.,” calling them “routine violence against homeless encampments.”
The rally coincided with the Annunciation Church shooting, which appeared to dampen turnout. After a moment of silence for victims, Michael Wood reflected, “Our mayor has been saying we need more than thoughts and prayers right now, and he’s right.
“We need a new system that puts people first. We need police accountable to us. We need a system that protects students instead of funding the slaughter of Palestinians.”
Regarding the upcoming election, Berg said, “I think Omar Fateh is the strongest candidate, and he’s been a real ally of the fight in the East Phillips neighborhood.”
Tensions around Frey have also spilled onto the city council. Two weeks before the protest, Council Vice President Aisha Chughtai (Ward 10) went viral for her profane remarks at the Uptown Porchfest music festival.
“I ran for the city council,” Chughtai said, “because I was tired of my city treating people like me — people who are a product of childhood homelessness, people who come from undocumented families — like garbage,” ending her speech with: “F*** Jacob Frey, F*** fascism, F*** Donald Trump.”
The comments sparked backlash. Council Members Linea Palmisano, Andrea Jenkins and Michael Rainville urged Chughtai to apologize, while her challenger, Lydia Millard, called the remarks divisive. But Berg defended her, saying, “Her expressing herself in that way only makes me want to vote for her more. She embodies the sentiments of many of her constituents.”
Ward 4 Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw raised safety concerns, telling KSTP 5, “You don’t know who in that arena would take that and feel like they needed to do something. Those comments could really cause the mayor and his family harm.”
Berg countered: “It’s ridiculous to compare criticism of Jacob Frey to right-wing terrorist violence.”
Citywide elections are scheduled for November 5 and will use ranked-choice voting, where voters rank candidates by preference until one achieves a majority.
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