BREAKING: Walz will activate the full Minnesota National Guard to prevent more looting, fires and rioting in Minneapolis which Walz says has never been done in history. Walz will also call in National Guard from other states and is in consultation with Sec of Defense
Walz said last night was “a mockery of pretending this is about George Floyd’s death or inequalities or historical traumas to our communities of color because our communities of color and our Indigenous communities were out fighting hand-in-hand to save businesses”
Let me refer back to three tweets from last night: 1.
2.
3.
I also talked to members of the American Indian Movement and they said the AIM Patrol was exempted from the curfew last night to keep their communities safe.
Many people of color, Native and immigrant residents and politicians last night say the National Guard abandoned their neighborhoods to let them burn. That’s what I saw last night. I saw the city go up in flames but only twice saw soldiers
There were POC looting but what I heard is the fires were caused by white outsiders on both ends of political extremes. That is as least partly or mostly true. Who is responsible for destruction is rly complicated and not something we fully know or I can explain in this thread
Walz says the large, previously planned protests *today* will be an expression of the grief and loss of George Floyd. “There will be legitimate exercising of first amendment rights” and National Guard and law enforcement will protect them
Probably should remind everyone there’s a pandemic and under a current Walz order gatherings of more than 10 ppl are banned. Injuries from protests/riots put pressure on already strained hospitals and also could/will cause a spike in COVID-19 infections
Walz says “At this point in time it is nothing short of a blessing that we have not had someone killed” (will point out someone was shot and killed on the second night of protests reportedly by a pawn shop owner defending business)
Frey says “the people who are doing this are not Minneapolis residents” Again, at least *partly* true. There were a lot of out of state license plates last night
St Paul Mayor Melvin Carter says “Anger of (George Floyd’s) death is understandable. Sadness, pain, heartache, frustration is legitimate” (presser is technically over but I’m still watching because I’m lagging and semi-live tweeting)
