Even though the reroute of highway 55 through Minnehaha Park has been opposed for 40 years, powerful interests managed to push the outlandish project through. The fact that the road breaks federal law by going through a unique urban wilderness on the Mississippi River flood plain is immaterial; the fact that an old-growth oak savanna would be plowed under caused no eye to blink. The displacement of 40 year residents was par for the course in their game; the destruction of sacred sites meant nothing to the paper pushers in control. These facts, however, spurred the people to action. Affinity groups formed and traditional Earth First! activities such as earth-moving with human-powered tools (hole digging), concrete mixing, metal cutting and barricade building began under the cover of moonless nights.
When we received information that the bulldozers were due to begin leveling homes the next day, activists spent a sleepless night setting up various defensible positions. By the early morning of August 10, the occupation of the east side of the 5400 block of Riverview Road was in place. Using tripods and lock boxes, non-violent direct action activists put their bodies on the line, placing themselves in positions that make it impossible for bulldozers to demolish the homes without seriously endangering their lives. These tactics have been successfully used on a large scale by anti-road groups in England. We are hoping they will be just as successful in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The first weeks of the Minnehaha Free State have been full of victories. No bulldozers have been seen anywhere in the vicinity, and the demolition deadline came and went with not one house touched. The local community continues to be incredibly supportive, bringing food and other items to help the activists at the occupation. People are coming from all over to see what is going on, and the overwhelming sentiment is against the road. Even the corporate media seems positive. Local television stations have covered the occupation live several times, and the Minneapolis newspaper has run favorable articles describing neighborhood support for the occupation.
Members of the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota community joined Big Woods Earth First! on day two of the occupation. These aboriginal inhabitants have come to the Minnehaha Free State to lay claim to what is rightfully theirs and to help protect several sacred sites destined to be destroyed by the road. Driven from their own land and promised land they never got, these people have survived the onslaught of European domination and maintained their cultural traditions over the years. The Indigenous Environmental Network and Honor the Earth have also come out in support of the occupation. Members of the American Indian Movement have held drum ceremonies at the encampment in support the preservation of the Dakota sacred sites. This alliance promises to be a formidable obstacle to the road builder's agenda.
Several forces are actively conspiring to pave over this irreplaceable land. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDoT) has long thought of cars as the only acceptable mode of transport, fueling the spread of urban sprawl with an ever-expanding road system. The Metropolitan Airport Commission has been greedily expanding the airport just south of the reroute and pressure is being applied by the wage-labor slaves in the downtown corporate offices who want the three minute faster commute to the airport the new route would provide. And then there is the proposed light rail transit corridor, which, coincidentally (or not), is scheduled to use the same pathïseen by many as a divide and conquer tactic on the part of city planners. Road building is big business, large construction companies with clout at the state capital stand to make lots of money. These forces are not accustomed to being challenged and will not be stopped easily.
Every other method to halt the crazy plan has been tried, including collecting over 8,000 signatures, conducting tours of the threatened area, writing letters, calling officials, holding rallies, attending public meetings and suing in court. But it became clear that more serious action was necessary when, with a lawsuit appeal pending, MnDoT arrogantly released their call for bids to demolish the perfectly livable homes in the path of the road.
MnDoT has been tightlipped and smug in their approach. The project coordinator said the houses would be down on schedule and any illegal occupants removed, a statement he had to eat as the deadline came and went. As time passed, it became clear their strategy would be to play a waiting game rather than risk confrontation, as even police driving by the site said they didn't want the road. Of course, MnDoT argues they went through all the public participation process needed to conclude people wanted the road. This statement may have been true 30 years ago, but sentiment has clearly changed. If only MnDoT realized it is never to late too change a bad plan.
The Minnehaha Free State has an around-the-clock watch, and many people from various backgrounds are working full-time to sustain the occupation. A governing system based on consensus has been set up. At our daily meetings we make sure concerns are addressed, ensure the smooth operation of the occupation and plot further strategy. A free kitchen is being operated by Food not Bombs. Affinity groups have formed around different aspects of camp maintenance, and the feeling of empowerment is running high. Plans for a fall garden, pirate radio and a weekly zine are all in the works as the Minnehaha Free State creates a new autonomous community.
To many of us, this is not just about stopping one road, but about redefining the way people think about roads and transport in general. We desperately need to turn away from the car culture. Road building and urban sprawl are rapidly gobbling up precious wild lands. We need to fight back against the mentality of the road-building wackos who are ruining the planet. It is also about native sovereignty and returning the continent to a more balanced state. Earth First! has broadened its horizons in the past years and has built alliances with indigenous groups and others. This expansion is essential to increasing the struggle against the destruction of the Earth. This struggle will not be won in the courts, but through direct action efforts to change the way people think, empowering people to act against the destruction.
The Minnehaha Free State is an ongoing campaign. We intend to maintain the occupation until the reroute is canceled and the land claims of the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota are recognized and upheld. It is hard work maintaining the occupation, but also fun and rewarding. We anticipate more groups will be joining the fight. Come get involved!
Contact us at Big Woods Earth First!, POB 580936, Minneapolis MN 55458, (612) 362-3387, earthfirst@juno.com. If you can't join us, you can help by calling the MnDoT Commissioner James Denn at (651) 297-1467; US Representative Martin Sabo at (612) 664-8000; Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sales Belton at (612) 673-2100; MN Attorney General (also running for governor) Skip Humphrey at (612) 225-0726; US Senator Paul Wellstone at (612) 645-0323. Tell them to stop the reroute of highway 55 and to support the Mendota land claim.