In Minnesota, the murder of an elected democrat symptomatic of the rise in political violence – Liberation

During the night from Friday to Saturday, Melissa Hortman, Democratic representative at the Minnesota Congress, and her husband were killed at their home in Brooklyn Park, a suburb of Minneapolis, by a man disguised as a police officer. About fifteen kilometers away, an elected official from the State Senate, John Hoffman, also a democrat, and his wife were also injured by the same individual, still on the run. Melissa Hortman had notably made herself known for her work in favor of a restriction on the circulation of firearms. She was close to Former Kamala Harris running mate, Tim Walzoriginally from the same state.

The suspect, Vance Luther Boelter, 57, was quickly identified. In his car, the investigators discovered elements leaving little doubt about premeditation: a list of around 70 potential targets, including elected Democrats in Minnesota including Tim Walz, and health professionals, all committed to the right to abortion. They also found leaflets mentioning The major events organized on Saturday against Donald Trump.

This tragedy is added to an already long and disturbing series of acts of political violence in the United States. For the past year alone, we identify Two assassination attempts Against Donald Trump, the murder of two employees From the Israeli Embassy to Washington, the attack in the Colorado of a demonstration calling for the release of the hostages selected in Gaza, or the criminal fire of the official residence of the Democratic Governor of Pennsylvania. « Political violence is a scourge, warned the Secretary of State of Minnesota, Steve Simon on Saturday. And unfortunately, she is increasing. I want to be very clear: we recently had examples on both sides of the political spectrum. ”

While the number of cases of threats reported against the members of the Congress has more than doubled in the past seven years, political scientist Steve Levitsky, questioned by American media Politicoattributes a share of responsibility to Donald Trump: “He’s not rocket science. You endorse the January 6 insurrection (The 2021 attack on the Capitol by pro-Trump activists, editor’s note)). You grab all the participants, or almost all, including those who physically attacked police officers, and you treat them as a hero. You have created a climate that is not content to tolerate political violence: it encourages it. ”

Threats of violence, even murder, against elected officials have exploded in the United States and have more than doubled since 2017, according to The data collected by the Capitol police. A level reminiscent of that of the 1960s and 1970s, a period marked by the assassination of Martin Luther King, JFK, Malcolm X and Robert Kennedy.

Since Saturday, the messages of condolence and support of American elected officials have flocking on social networks. « My family and I know too well the horror of a targeted shooting, Written the former elected Democrat Gabby Giffords, injured by bullet in 2011. An attack on elected officials is an attack on American democracy itself. ””