Social media is hammering the Minneapolis Police Department into submission after it made the preposterous claim that Mayor Betsy Hodges flashed gang signs when she pointed at a black campaign volunteer while taking a picture on Nov. 1.
The head of the Minneapolis police union actually had the intestinal fortitude to make the ludicrous assertion that this photo showing the mayor and a volunteer pointing at each other with their thumbs raised is a known gang sign.
Most local pundits and observers believe this is blatant police vengeance against the mayor, who roundly criticized corruption within the police ranks which she said undermined their ability to serve the Minneapolis community.
The backlash for such an inane pronouncement as calling the mayor a gang member — and that it put officers in danger — was swift and intense on social media, with hundreds of tweets ridiculing the report or calling it racist. Many show photos of U.S. presidents, Pope Francis and even Cookie Monster using similar hand gestures, under the hashtag #Pointergate.
Hodges’ camp, according to the Associated Press, quickly dismissed the police department’s outlandish utterances, saying the photo merely shows the mayor and Navell Gordon, an employee of Neighborhoods Organizing for Change “pointing at each other” while knocking on doors to get out the vote in north Minneapolis. She said the mayor has many photos on her Facebook page showing her making the same gesture with others.
There had already been tensions between police and the mayor, who has called for tougher action against police misconduct. The police, many believe, are exacting revenge against the mayor for attempting to root out malfeasance within the department.
Take a look at some of the funniest memes mocking the police union’s statement that Mayor Hodges flashed a gang sign — while showing dignitaries, babies and even cartoons taking pictures while pointing at something or someone.
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