Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey had to make a "Game of Thrones"-style walk of shame when protesters turned on him for refusing to defund the police department.
Mayor Frey was right in the thick of a Saturday demonstration when a protest organizer demanded a "yes or no" answer to this question: "Will you commit to defunding Minneapolis Police Dept.?"
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey showed up today at the protests. He was asked if he would commit to abolishing/defunding the police. Incredible to witness crowd hold him directly accountable. Man did a literal walk of shame. pic.twitter.com/v645mfIZHt
— Sana Saeed (@SanaSaeed) June 6, 2020
He responded, "I do not support the full abolition of the police," and that's when it got ugly. The organizer said, "Get the f**k outta here" ... and chants of "Go home Jacob" went up from the crowd, and that he did.
Taking a long, loud walk through a sea of protesters.
Mayor Frey @Jacob_Frey says he doesnt want to defund the police. So the crowd led by @BlackVisionsMN tell him to leave. pic.twitter.com/DaJHJXPwRm
— CTUL (@CTUL_TC) June 6, 2020
It's a stunning turn for Mayor Frey who almost immediately called for the firing and prosecution of the 4 officers involved in killing George Floyd.
He was also kneeling and weeping next to George's casket during Thursday's emotional funeral service.
Defunding police departments has now become a flashpoint during many protests across the country, and nowhere is that more evident than in this video.
While Mayor Frey's been a loud advocate for getting justice for George Floyd, his refusal to disband his city's police department was enough for protesters to run him off the streets.