Victory Memorial Park in Minneapolis is a part of the city that is a little obscure to most Minneapolitans, whatever their politics. Running along the city's far northwest border, it's a beautiful art-deco memorial to servicepeople from Hennepin County who died in World War 1. If you are a memorial geek, it's one of the city's hidden-in-plain-sight treasures.
So this past Wednesday - Veterans Day - it was a little disconcerting to see a completely different war memorial at 11:11AM — the moment the armistice ended hostilities in the First World War:
Former Hennepin County Park Commisioner Becka Thompson reports:
I am so sad to report what has happened just now. At 11:11 on 11/11 at victory memorial drive on Veterans Day taps is usually played as the sun shines upon the glorious sundial that the flagpole of VMD actually is. There are two very special days on Victory Memorial Drive: Memorial Day and Veterans Day. On Memorial Day we have flags out and, as a park commissioner, I worked with the superintendent to make sure various maintenance was prioritized in the schedule for that day. On Veterans Day, veterans from all over gravitate to the pole to have a moment of silence for those fallen. Victory memorial drive is a specific World War One memorial to those who lost their lives from Hennepin County during the war. It is the only such memorial in the whole country. Now, I am very supportive of protest, but to take over the whole flagpole at 11am on 11/11 is a very intentional desecration. Many veterans and children of veterans wanting to pay their respects alerted me as I was headed over myself. It was a protest. But a protest for what? “Veterans for peace” supporting Palestine? Until the day I die I will never understand the conflation. I also am sure they didn’t have a permit. As a former commissioner I know that amplified sound at these historic sites requires a permit. This makes me very sad. Veterans and family couldn’t even honor their loved ones today at 11:11. Another stolen moment, destroyed by hubris and conceit. Not an American flag in sight. They were proud they took over the memorial. I’d love an investigation into this @MplsParkBoard . I used to take my son here as a boy to teach him about respecting our veterans and also the purpose of the flagpole. How it was actually children at Loring Community School who “saved their pennies “ to fund the memorial. Fascinating that the reason I was late is because I was writing about our history and how we must learn from it, or we repeat. I cannot believe even our fallen dead cannot have a moment of silence in our current society. #VeteransDay2026
— Becka Thompson (@becka_thompson) November 11, 2026
There are two very special days on Victory Memorial Drive: Memorial Day and Veterans Day.On Memorial Day we have flags out and, as a park commissioner, I worked with the superintendent to make sure various maintenance was prioritized in the schedule for that day.On Veterans Day, veterans from all over gravitate to the pole to have a moment of silence for those fallen.
This year? There was a new theme; "Veterans for Palestine", a DSA-affiliated group, held its own service. At 11:11 AM on November 11.
What do you suppose the odds were?
Many veterans and children of veterans wanting to pay their respects alerted me as I was headed over myself. It was a protest.But a protest for what? “Veterans for peace” supporting Palestine?
There is, of course, no point in complaining about the lack of a permit, to say nothing of the hijacking of the memorial. Being a leftist in the Twin Cities makes one above the law and immune to consequences.
