Left-wing activists protesting outside the Minnesota GOP headquarters in Edina said that Republicans are “ultimately responsible” for the political assassination of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband.
Hortman and her husband, Mark, were murdered in their home on June 14 by a man posing as a police officer. Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were also shot but are recovering. Vance Boelter is facing state and federal charges in connection to both cases.
“We’re standing here today in front of the offices of the Republican Party of Minnesota because we know who was ultimately responsible for the violent attack on Melissa and Mark Hortman and John and Yvette Hoffman,” Kristen Bledsoe, with the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC), said during the Monday protest.
“We’re here to hold the Republicans accountable for the violence, despite their attempts to dodge responsibility,” she added.
WATCH: Left-wing activists say Republicans are “ultimately responsible” for Melissa Hortman’s assassination, in protest outside MNGOP headquarters pic.twitter.com/eRg19ym4mc
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) June 24, 2025
Organizers of the protest included the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, 50501, Anti-War Committee, Minnesota Workers United, Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-Sentenced Families Council, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, Climate Justice Committee, and Students for a Democratic Society.
Minnesota GOP Chair Alex Plechash called on the groups to cancel the protest. “Our building isn’t a political battleground—it’s a shared community space. Children and patients will be directly affected by this protest. That’s unacceptable,” Plechash said in a statement prior to the protest. “The silence from Governor Walz and the DFL Party is unacceptable. We call on them to condemn this protest and the inflammatory rhetoric fueling it.”
The protest attracted 30 to 40 attendees, according to pictures obtained by Alpha News. “Are there any elected democrats brave enough to denounce,” Republican Rep. Mary Franson asked on social media regarding Bledsoe’s statements.
Are there any elected democrats brave enough to denounce 🧐 https://t.co/mBoVfgZuXQ
— 🇺🇸Mary🇺🇸 (@RepMaryFranson) June 24, 2025
“Neither Republicans nor Gov. Walz are responsible for the heinous assassinations of Speaker Hortman & Mark and the attempted assassinations of the Hoffmans. Vance Boelter is responsible. Saying otherwise is wrong and increases division and hate,” added Republican Rep. Kristin Robbins.
Neither Republicans nor Gov. Walz are responsible for the heinous assassinations of Speaker Hortman & Mark and the attempted assassinations of the Hoffmans. Vance Boelter is responsible. Saying otherwise is wrong and increases division and hate. https://t.co/7NPxxSWjwK
— Kristin Robbins (@KRobbinsMN) June 24, 2025
“There should be huge condemnation from the Republican Party. What she is doing is continuing and elevating the rhetoric of violence,” Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Kendall Qualls told Alpha News in response to the video.
He said statements like Bledsoe’s are creating situations for “potential retribution action by those that are on the fringe left.” He also called out Gov. Tim Walz for his silence regarding the statements made at the protest.
“For him not to say something, silence is consent. Every leader knows this. They know that silence is consent. There is an opportunity for leaders to stand up and speak out about something and he didn’t,” said Qualls.
Qualls criticized Walz’s leadership, saying there’s more he could be doing to help tone down the rhetoric.
“What the governor should be doing in his role as leader in our state is helping to deescalate. He says all these deescalating things and then he runs behind the microphone and says things like ‘we need to be meaner,’” Qualls said. “Some people may say, ‘Well he said that before the shootings and has taken a different tone since,’ but he really hasn’t.”
Qualls said it’s time to have adults in the room in politics. “It’s time for the Democrat leadership to be the adults in the room instead of letting the spoiled kids run amok.”
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