Whether you call them protests or riots, it’s pretty clear at this point that things have gotten out of hand.
Businesses have been destroyed.
The police precinct was burned to the ground.
Police face assault while simply maintaining order.
Most of the protests appear to have begun in Minneapolis and according to the state’s governor, approximately 80% of the participants were out of the state.
Here’s the governor’s statement provided by Breitbart:
During a press conference on Saturday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) stated that the “best estimate… that I heard” is that 80% of the people rioting in the state are not from Minnesota.
Citing no official data, Walz explained, “I want to just be very clear, as I said earlier in the week, this is not about saying, oh, this isn’t us, it’s everybody from everywhere else. We understand that the catalyst for this was Minnesotans, and Minnesotans’ inability to deal with inequality, inequities, and, quite honestly, the racism that has persisted. I am not denying that. But what we’re at right now — and we’re trying to get numbers on this. And I will try, and what I’m asking the media to help us on, we’re going to start releasing who some of these people are. And they’ll be able to start tracing that history of where they’re at and what they’re doing on the dark web and how they’re organizing. But I’m not trying to say that — I think our best estimate right now that I heard is about 20% is what we think are Minnesotans and about 80% are outside. So, I’m not trying to deflect in any way. I’m not trying to say there aren’t Minnesotans amongst this group.”
How does burning down a police building honor the memory of George Floyd?
The first police officer involved in Floyd’s death has already been charged with third-degree murder, yet the violence has only progressed.
Check out some of the details from Deadline on the chaos in Minneapolis:
Minneapolis protesters broke into a police precinct building in the city and set it on fire Thursday night.
The angry mob torched the 3rd Precinct building of the Minneapolis police to protest the death of George Floyd in police custody.
It is not clear if the police or anyone else was affected by the blaze or the storming of the precinct. The four officers involved in the confrontation with Floyd that led to his death all worked there.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has activated the state National Guard to help restore order in Minneapolis, where protesters have taken over the streets to vent their anger over the death of George Floyd.
Prosecutors have not yet said whether the four police officers involved in the incident that resulted in Floyd’s death would face criminal charges. State and federal prosecutors are investigating the confrontation that ended with African American man Floyd begging white police officer Derek Chauvin to stop kneeling on his neck, saying, “I can’t breathe.”
Video from the incident was captured by bystanders, resulting in international outrage and the immediate firing of the four policemen involved at the scene.
“We’re going to investigate it as expeditiously, as thoroughly and completely as justice demands,” said Mike Freeman, the district attorney in Hennepin County, speaking at a news conference. “Sometimes that takes a little time, and we ask people to be patient.”
Protesters weren’t waiting for approval. They took to the streets in Minneapolis starting on Tuesday night, and Los Angeles saw the 101 Freeway blocked on Wednesday night by a march organized by Black Lives Matter. More than a dozen people were arrested in New York City on Thursday night at a Union Square protest, while San Francisco and Memphis were among other cities where angry citizens took to the streets.
Most major news networks were broadcasting news from the scene, with some going live from Minneapolis and elsewhere.
In Minneapolis, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to break up Wednesday night violence. One man was killed, but it was unclear how he died. Widespread looting erupted, with a Target store on Lake Street in the city particularly victimized, and an AutoZone was set on fire.
Many quickly reacted on Twitter, with some pointing out that members of Joe Biden’s campaign donated funds to bail out rioters:
Yes, the Constitution protects the right to “peacefully” assemble, but it doesn’t protect riots involving destruction of property.
Maybe if these “protesters” learned the difference between a protest and a riot, they would be more successful in their endeavors.
Watch the statement directly from the Minnesota governor urging residents to maintain peace:
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