Oh, and...
The MN Governor did a poor job in the aftermath of the George Floyd killing; there's no question about it.
Crime (looting, arson) and violence started getting really bad on Tues May 26, 2020, the day after George Floyd's death. Law enforcement was clearly outnumbered as stores were looted and set on fire.
2 days later, on May 28, 2020, the National Guard was finally activated by the MN Governor.
Because of Tim Walz's lack of leadership and not calling in the National Guard right away
(as you will read, he was hesitating; meanwhile, law enforcement was clearly outnumbered by the rioters), many buildings in Minneapolis and St Paul burned to the ground.
The timeline:
Mon May 25, 2020: George Floyd was killed
Tues May 26, 2020: Protests in Minneapolis begin, and the police use tear gas to break them up. That night, violent protests
broke out in Minneapolis, as
businesses were looted and buildings burned. Some demonstrators vandalized police vehicles with graffiti and targeted the precinct house where the 4 police officers (who had responded to the George Floyd incident) had been assigned.
Wed May 27, 2020: Minneapolis Mayor calls Gov Walz,
asking him to deploy the Minnesota National Guard to the streets of Minneapolis.
For the 2nd straight night, violent protests again broke out in Minneapolis, as businesses continued be be looted and buildings burned.
Thurs May 28, 2020: Minneapolis 3rd precinct police station is surrendered and evacuated and burns to the ground.
More than 1,000 buildings were burned or damaged in Minneapolis in the days after George Floyd’s murder.
The police station that was surrendered:
Thurs May 28 and Fri May 29, 2020: Various businesses were vandalized and set on fire in St. Paul.
Thur May 28, 2020: The National Guard is finally activated by the Minnesota governor.
Sat May 30, 2020: An 8 p.m. curfew is established. After 4 nights of chaos in Minneapolis, the Minneapolis mayor called on people to stay home. “What started as largely peaceful protests for George Floyd have turned to outright looting and domestic terrorism in our region,” he said on Twitter.
Story from KARE 11 TV, an NBC affiliate in Minneapolis:
On May 25, 2020 George Floyd was killed.
Two days later, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey made a call to Gov. Tim Walz (the night of May 27), asking him to deploy the Minnesota National Guard to the streets of Minneapolis.
That would've been a full 24 hours before the city evacuated the 3rd Precinct Police headquarters, surrendering to the rioters, allowing the police station to burn to the ground.
At 8:05 p.m. on May 27, the mayor's office asked, "What's happening? As far as the Guard." The mayor's aid responds,
"He said Walz was hesitating."
The mayor's staff went as far as drafting an press release at 9:00 p.m. that same night, announcing that Frey was requesting the National Guard. That release was never sent. According to sources at City Hall, Mayor Frey didn't want to appear like he was using the media to pressure Walz.
Officers from the Minnesota State Patrol, DNR and other state agencies were already on the ground across the Twin Cities working in support of local police operations, but
they were outnumbered.
Sources:
Newly released texts show the Minneapolis Mayor reached out to Gov. Walz the night of Wednesday, May 27 asking him to bring in the National Guard.
www.kare11.com
After dozens of people looted a high-end athletic wear company’s store on St. Paul’s Grand Avenue, police released surveillance photos Wednesday and asked for the public’s help to…
www.twincities.com
Nearly 100 people have faced felony charges related to the unrest in the Twin Cities after the murder of George Floyd.
minnesotareformer.com
Fires are still burning and looting is taking place after violent protests over the death of a black man in police custody hit Minneapolis for a second straight night.
www.mprnews.org
