Police remove memorial created by white nationalist group in Minnesota

Police in Minneapolis have removed a memorial put up by white nationalists commemorating an Australian-American woman killed by a Somali officer earlier this year.

The memorial dedicated to Justine Ruszczyk Damond was set up outside a local police precinct and included a framed picture, roses, candles and signs. 

“We cannot allow any memorial and anything like that to be put up at that location,” Minneapolis police spokesman John Elder told Minnesota public radio.

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Damond was shot and killed in July by a Somali police officer after she called 911 to report a possible assault behind her house. 

Identify Evropa, a hate group based out of northern California, said it put up the memorial on Friday, according to The Associated Press.

The group was among those helping organize a rally of white nationalists in Charlottesville, Va., in August that turned violent, the AP noted.

The clashes came amid debate over the removal of statues and memorials commemorating the Confederacy across the country.