Who Is ‘Umbrella Man’? Mystery Vandal At Minneapolis Riot Spurs Conspiracies

TOPLINE

Speculation about the identity of the so-called “Umbrella Man”—captured on video using a hammer to smash windows of a Minneapolis AutoZone during Wednesday’s protests—have swirled since a video of him spread online, sparking claims he is an undercover police officer directed to stir up trouble, which local departments quickly denied.

KEY FACTS

KEY BACKGROUND

Minneapolis officials suggest that an increasing number of people rioting—perhaps as many as 80%—are coming from outside the city in what Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said was “an organized attempt to destabilize civil society.” Walz has suggested that white supremacists and drug cartels were possibly involved in the chaos. According to The Star Tribune, about 40 people were arrested over Friday night, and that Hennepin County jail records showed detainees hailed from states like Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Illinois and Alaska on charges like destroying property, breaking curfew and burglary. On Saturday morning, Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said he was told that every person arrested in the city over Friday night was from out of state.

TANGENT

This isn’t the first time the mysterious identity of an Umbrella Man has whipped up speculation. In the wake of President John F. Kennedy’s 1963 assassination in Dallas, a man seen holding an umbrella as he stood near Dealey Plaza became the subject of conspiracy theories. Some speculated he acted as a lookout and that his umbrella was a signal to start shooting, or that it contained some kind of weapon. But in 1978, the Umbrella Man came forward as Dallas resident Louie Steven Witt, who testified he brought the umbrella to protest what he said was Nazi appeasement on the part of the Kennedy family prior to World War II. Kennedy’s father and family patriarch Joseph P Kennedy aligned himself with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who was known for carrying an umbrella. Umbrellas were used as a symbol of criticism against Chamberlain in the 1930’s for his appeasement policy toward Adolf Hitler.

FURTHER READING

Questions raised over masked white man with umbrella seen calmly smashing windows before Minneapolis riot (The Independent)

St. Paul police rebut social media theory that officer instigated Minneapolis unrest (Pioneer Press)

Rumors are swirling over footage showing a shadowy figure dubbed ‘umbrella man’ breaking windows during the Minneapolis protests (Insider)

Every Person Arrested In Saint Paul Last Night Was From Out Of State, Mayor Says (Forbes)