It's Weird to Be the Subject of Disinfomation

If there's anyone reading this who's not from around here and also has been hearing that Minneapolis's Cedar-Riverside neighborhood is a so-called "no-go zone" of Sharia Law and whatever... that is not true in the least.

Two unwelcome jerks have been here the past few days trying to spread that story (provocateurs Laura Loomer and Jacob Wohl... here's a round-up from Tony Webster's Twitter feed) and defame Rep. Ilhan Omar. They even cruised the suburban mosque that was bombed by white supremacists in 2017. They are feeding hatred and disinformation.

I worked for 14 years in the neighborhood adjacent to Cedar-Riverside, one that also has a high proportion of Somali and other east African refugees. They were recent arrivals when I started working there in 1998 and at first it took some getting used to, but like most mature humans, I adapted to my environment.

Here are some thoughts on Cedar-Riverside from Minneapolis resident Robin Garwood:

The Cedar Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis, also often known as the West Bank, is fantastic.

I feel the need to state this pretty self-evident fact because there are some out-of-town idiots trashing the neighborhood on social media.

I'm there all the time. It's wonderful.

I've had a class in the area every Wednesday for awhile, and it gets out at 9pm. But never fear, I've had a great late-dinner spot available right near the actual corner of Cedar and Riverside.

It's called the Red Sea. It's an Ethiopian restaurant.

The Red Sea is great. Good, filling food for shockingly little $. Labeled vegan options! Ethiopian beer! Sometimes I'm lucky enough to see my friend Russom, the owner. He's from Eritrea, if my memory serves. A deeply good guy, he's helped run the neighborhood safety committee.

(I should note that I've played shows in various rock bands in the venue portion of the Red Sea. It's a very welcoming place for all kinds of different genres of music, from afro beat to rock to reggae to hip hop.)

Did I mention I walked there? Yeah, I walked down Cedar Ave from my class to the Red Sea or the Hard Times (another vegetarian/vegan friendly place in Cedar Riverside) and then, after my meal, a little further down to the Blue Line train.

I've spent hundreds of hours on the West Bank. I've knocked thousands of doors there. I've spent thousands of dollars by this point in the various businesses on Cedar and Riverside. I literally bought both my canoe and my mattress on Cedar Avenue.

There are some twerpy non-local rightwing assholes who would have you fear Cedar Riverside, and believe it is a "no go" zone.

Cedar Riverside is a "no, you really owe it to yourself to go" zone.

Don't listen to those people trying to use this lovely neighborhood as a prop in their hateful, petty little game. Listen to those of us - of many races, religions, countries of origin, ages and backgrounds - who love the West Bank.

It's fabulous.

That's all I've got for today.