Man Agrees To Community Service In Toppling Of Columbus Statue

TWIN CITIES, MN — Michael Anthony Forcia must perform 100 hours of community service for his role in the June 10 toppling of the Christopher Columbus statue on the grounds of the Minnesota State Capitol.

In August, Forcia — who has identified himself as chairman of the Twin Cities American Indian Movement — was charged with criminal damage to property in Ramsey County. However, in a hearing Monday, prosecutors agreed to suspend the case against Forcia if he participates in a restorative justice program.

"The violence, exploitation and forced assimilation that has been inflicted upon Native people has been perpetuated from colonial times into modern times, and the trauma resulting from it is still present," the prosecution said.

"The impact of those harms is largely unrecognized by or unknown to the dominant culture."

As part of the agreement, Forcia acknowledged how his actions hurt others.

"I learned about what the statue meant to Italian Americans when it was erected and for their struggle for acceptance," Forcia wrote. "I understand my actions caused harm to those who felt this was an attack on their community."

Forcia added that "in the Native American community, I hurt those who disagreed with my decision. I was not speaking for them. It created a rift in a community I deeply love which I regret and will continue to work to make amends."

The following conditions were set for the suspended prosecution:

1. Mr. Forcia waives the right to a speedy trial.

2. Mr. Forcia shall perform restitution in the form of 100 hours of service to the community through providing education and participating in other restorative practices in furtherance of repairing the harms and healing the divide identified in the circle process.

3. Financial Restitution for the statue will not be a condition of this agreement due to the lack of certainty around what ultimately will be done with the statue, and the amount of time the decision process is likely to take to complete the thorough engagement the CAAPB has undertaken. This issue is reserved for 90 days from the date of this agreement.

4. Mr. Forcia shall draft a letter acknowledging the harms caused by his actions and the actions he agrees to take to repair those harms.

5. Mr. Forcia is prohibited from committing any offenses that result in new criminal charges (misdemeanor or more serious).

6. Successful Completion – If, at the end of the suspensded prosecution period, Mr. Forcia has complied with the conditions of this agreement, the State will move to dismiss this case. In order to avoid an unnecessary extension of the agreement, Mr. Forcia, through his counsel, and the prosecutor will review progress toward the goals of this agreement at 90-day intervals (March 5, June 4, September 3, and December 2, 2021.)

7. Extension of Agreement – The State reserves the right to move the Court for a stipulated extension of the suspension period, as conditions require, and Mr. Forcia agrees to an extension if any date is set beyond the agreement’s expiration date by the Court. Further, if at any time during the pendency of the case a bench warrant is issued for Mr. Forcia’s arrest, Mr. Forcia agrees that this agreement shall be automatically extended until at least the date of his next appearance in court on this case.

8. Non-Compliance – If, at any time during the deferral period, Mr. Forcia has not complied with the conditions of this agreement, the State may, in accordance with Minn. R. Crim. P. 27.05 Subd. 4, move the court to terminate this agreement and resume prosecution of this case.

9. Material Misrepresentation – If any party misrepresented material facts affecting this agreement, any party may move the court to terminate the agreement in accordance with Minn. R. Crim. P. 27.05.

10. Termination by the Defendant – At any point during the deferral period, Mr. Forcia may, through written motion, notify the State and the Court of his intention to terminate this agreement, which will resume prosecution of this case.

11. Review Date – This matter is suspended until December 6, 2021, when it shall be reviewed for termination of the agreement, unless sooner placed on the District Court Calendar by either party.

12. Expungement – following successful completion of this agreement and the appropriate waiting period, the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office will aid in the petition for an expungement if eligible.

The estimated cost to repair the damage is $154,553, according to authorities.

According to the complaint, on the morning of June 10, the Minnesota State Patrol received information that Forcia had organized a 5 p.m. event via social media titled, "AIM rally against racism! Bring your drums!"

It was clear from the post that the event's purpose was to remove the statue, police said.

When troopers arrived at the site, Forcia declared they were there to "pull the statue down," according to the criminal complaint.

Capt. Eric Roeske told Forcia about the process for removing or changing monuments on the Capitol complex and offered copy of Minnesota Statute 15B, which outlines the process.

Forcia said they had been through many processes before and that they were "taking it down today," according to police. By 4:52 p.m. a large crowd had gathered and, at about 5 p.m., the statue was pulled to the ground.

Forcia told police his hope was to have the statue removed as part of a larger effort to teach others about racism. He declined to name others involved in the June 10 protest.