What on earth caused all the uproar and mayhem at the 10th Ward DFL convention in Minneapolis?

The date was Tuesday May 16, 2023, when chaos and scuffling spread at a Minneapolis DFL ward convention. The situation escalated quickly at Ella Baker Global Studies & Humanities Magnet School in Uptown, where supporters of Council Member Aisha Chughtai and Nasri Warsame had gathered to endorse a candidate for the ward’s City Council seat. As Chughtai’s supporters took to the stage, Warsame’s supporters began shouting objections. The events that followed were captured on camera by Minneapolis blogger John Edwards and quickly gained national attention.

The DFL’s 10th Ward convention became an embarrassment for the party, and videos of the event have perplexed and shocked viewers. The convention ended abruptly, and several people went to the hospital or sought medical attention for non-life-threatening injuries. A host of officials and participants have issued statements condemning what happened, including Chughtai, Warsame, Council President Andrea Jenkins, and others.

According to several people present, many of Warsame’s supporters did not understand the proceedings of a political convention, which worsened the situation. The fact that many of them spoke only Somali did not help matters. The language barrier and sometimes quirky proceedings led to a lot of mistrust.

Warsame’s campaign manager, Abshir Omar, allegedly misled Warsame’s supporters about the convention’s process, which caused confusion. Warsame declined to comment on Lee’s accusation against Omar and instead stated that he was trying to calm his supporters, but eventually, things got out of hand.

The DFL could resume the 10th Ward convention or abandon the endorsement process. The state executive committee will determine the next steps at a meeting later this week. State party chair, Ken Martin, has proposed a bylaw to ban individuals engaged in violent assaults from the DFL Party and will take immediate action to remove the people involved in Ward 10. The situation has left many bursty and perplexed as they question what led to this escalating event.