Community members step up amid continuing chaos in Uptown

Community members in Uptown are banding together to clean up the area, after recent incidents of unrest.

Protesters started gathering in the Minneapolis neighborhood after the shooting death of Winston Smith in June.

Police said Uptown has seen increasing "lawlessness" in recent weeks, including issues with arson, drag-racing, graffiti and shots being fired.

A video shared on social media Wednesday night shows a car doing donuts in an intersection as a passenger fires a gun into the air more than 30 times.

On Thursday, Minneapolis Police Department said it will put extra patrols in the Uptown area, effective immediately, and is prepared to call in help from other departments if necessary this weekend.

Community members are also taking steps to try to revitalize the area.

"We’re trying to give hope back to the community. Please, don’t give up," said Marvin Applewhite.

Applewhite is coordinating grassroots cleanup efforts along Lake Street.

He started doing graffiti removal and trash pickup on his own after the riots last summer.

Applewhite continues to go out into the community daily to clean up anything that has been left behind from the previous night.

He said he often begins at 6 a.m. by himself, picking up trash.

Three days a week, he brings a group of five teenagers along to help paint over graffiti and clear debris from streets and alleys.

He is able to pay the teens a weekly stipend thanks to donations from this GoFundMe page.

"I have to walk down those streets. I have to look around and I have to think, ‘Oh well, this is where I live and it’s dirty where I live,’ and I don’t want to think that," said Da’Niel, a 13-year-old from Minneapolis who has joined the cleanup group. "So I’m helping my city become cleaner. It’s not really that hard either. It’s just simple, doing good deeds."

Applewhite said many nearby businesses have offered his crew free meals while they work.

He uses the mealtime with the teens to have conversations about their emotions surrounding the unrest, allowing them to process what is happening in the city.

Businesses in Uptown told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS the crime and violence have become very concerning.

"We’re just kind of on our toes, worried about what’s going to happen next," said Jamie Liestman, manager of John Fluevog Shoes on Hennepin Avenue.

Liestman walked into her shop Thursday morning to find a window had been shattered.

"This neighborhood is crumbling around me and it’s really sad," Liestman said. "I don’t know what to do. I’m at my wit’s end."

Liestman said she now carries pepper spray and an umbrella with her every day, as a means of protection if necessary. The store keeps its doors locked, so customers must ring a bell to get inside. Liestman said it is one of the safety measures they implemented after last summer’s riots. They chose to keep it in place this summer because of the ongoing problems.

She said local business owners communicate regularly about safety concerns and try to alert each other about potential issues.

"I just want to be a business and sell shoes and have people come to my store and feel safe. It’s been a challenge," Liestman said.

Liestman said community groups, like MAD DADS, have been more responsive to their pleas for help than their elected officials.

Grassroots efforts, like Applewhite’s cleanup crews, will also continue as long as needed.

"I wish it could grow bigger. I always tell people, if you like what we’re doing, you could come and help and make it bigger," Applewhite said. "My hope is when you ride down Lake Street by the end of the summer, you see less graffiti. As long as we’re out here, keep painting, keep cleaning up, we’re fueling hope."

Applewhite is planning a community cleanup effort Saturday morning, asking people to meet at the intersection of Lyndale Avenue and Lake Street at around 9:30 a.m., with cleanup set to begin at 10 a.m. If you would like to donate to these efforts, click here.