The situation got intense at a Black Lives Matter protest at the head of the Minneapolis police union's home
John Thompson, a Democrat campaigning for State House in Minnesota, launched into a fiery diatribe during a Black Lives Matter protest outside the home of Minneapolis Police Federation President Bob Kroll on Saturday. During the vitriolic tirade, Thompson hinted that the town of Hugo be burned down, which is where Kroll lives.
The crowd outside Kroll's home were demanding his resignation, accusing him of "fostering a toxic culture within the Minneapolis Police Department," according to KSTP-TV.
One of the most blunt and unreserved speakers during the hours-long protest was Thompson, who won the Democratic primary for the Minnesota House of Representatives District 67A last week. Thompson, who is trying to represent the constituents of Eastside of St. Paul, set a hostile tone by stating, "I didn't come here to be peaceful."
Thompson said Kroll was a member of the Ku Klux Klan and even claimed he was the Grand Wizard.
One of the neighbors was holding a Blue Lives Matter flag and Thompson told him to "stick it up his a**."
Thompson suggested to the crowd that the entire town should be burned down. "This whole god***n state burned down for $20 goddamn dollars, you think we give a f*** about burning Hugo down?"
"Blue lives don't mean s*** to black people," Thompson said. "F*** Hugo, Minnesota!"
Activist Tuscon Morrison said, "Here in Hugo, Minnesota, I'm going to take a wild guess and take it you don't have to fear for your life as much as you do in Minneapolis with Bob Kroll and his gang of thugs hunting down black and brown bodies like they're getting paid for it because they are."
Kroll, his wife, and his family were in the garage during the protest.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) endorsed Thompson in June.
"I've known John for years His fierce advocacy and commitment to his community is exactly what's needed in the state legislature right now," Walz said. "I look forward to working with him as the next State Representative for 67A."
In June, Kroll gave his opinion on the Minneapolis officer-involved death of George Floyd.
"It was sickening. It's something that should never have occurred," Kroll told KARE-TV. "No officer can condone that. Ourselves included."
When asked if what Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin did to Floyd was illegal, the head of the Minneapolis police union responded, "That's for the courts decide. In my opinion, no. But that's certainly for our criminal justice system to decide in the end."
But added that he didn't think "any officer would say that it's right."
"We've got a pretty good picture of what Chauvin did," Kroll continued. "It's easy to form judgment there and terminate, which we were able to make a quick decision that yes, we're not going to represent his employment."
Kroll defended the other two MPD officers at the scene of Floyd's death, Tou Thao and James Alexander Kueng. "But from the video we saw, we can't even see two of the other officers in it," Kroll said.
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