April 16, 2021 (St. Paul, MN) – The Minnesota Building Trades issued this statement following the National Guard leaving the St. Paul Labor Center Building on Wednesday evening.
“The National Guard was called to duty by Governor Tim Walz to keep our communities safe, following civil unrest after the death of Daunte Wright. Leaders of the St. Paul Labor Center offered its building as a place of rest and preparation as the Guard worked to protect the community.
“All Minnesotans deserve to feel safe in their community and the Building Trades supports the men and women of the National Guard — our friends and neighbors — who are serving to protect all Minnesotans no matter our race, where we live, and the work we do.
“It is unacceptable and disheartening that individual activists treated the Guard with disrespect while they waited at the St. Paul Labor Center for their next orders. It is embarrassing that the actions of a few independent actors caused the Guard to leave the Labor Center out of an abundance of caution.
“The Building Trades reject the animosity expressed against the National Guard, of which many guards are members of the Building Trades. We support the National Guard and our fellow Minnesotans who serve in it and the job they have been asked to do to protect Minnesota’s communities.
“As people across our state grieve and march in protest, we call on our fellow Minnesotans — across the labor movement, from different communities across the region and racial backgrounds — to uphold respect and peace for protestors and protectors of the community.”
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