With rioters continuing to loot and burning down multiple buildings in Minneapolis, on the orders of President Donald Trump the National Guard has been activated. Meanwhile, police in at least five precincts have abandoned the stations as they were being targeted by violent rioters.
Since the death of George Floyd on Monday at the hands of Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin who was seen kneeling on the neck of the 46-year-old black suspect in a viral video, there have been multiple protests across the state.
In a tweet on May 29, President Trump said that the National Guard is now taking control. "The National Guard has arrived on the scene. They are in Minneapolis and fully prepared. George Floyd will not have died in vain. Respect his memory!!!" said President Donald Trump in a tweet post.
In an earlier post, President Trump had said: "I can't stand back & watch this happen to a great American City, Minneapolis. A total lack of leadership. Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Frey, get his act together and bring the City under control, or I will send in the National Guard & get the job done right....."
Several police stations have been the target of attacks during the Minneapolis riots. Videos and images out of Minneapolis show, the police officers taking position on the top of the police stations and firing at the protesters.
At least 170 buildings have damaged by protesters, and many have been set of fire, according to CBD Minnesota. Social media posts claimed that the city is being taken over by rioters supporting George Floyd, while law enforcement agencies are not to be seen anywhere.
The 500 soldiers from the National Guard have been deployed in the greater Minneapolis area, mostly to provide security support to firefighters.
" Governor Tim Walz signed Executive Order 20-64 yesterday at 4 p.m., activating the Minnesota National Guard to provide safety and protection to the people of Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and the surrounding communities," a statement by Minnesota National Guard on its official Twitter account read.
Videos from the city show scenes of chaos, with rioters even burning down entire buildings.
George Floyd Death
There have been hundreds of social media claims that seem to connect the Minneapolis PD Officer Derek Chauvin of being a Trump supporter. Photos that claimed to show him wearing cap that "Make White Great Again" and another of him attending a Trump rally in October were later found to be fake.
George Floyd was a 46-year-old black male who was apprehended by MPD officer Derek Chauvin on charges of forgery on Monday. A video of the arrest shows Officer Chauvin kneeling on Floyd who can heard moaning and saying: I can't breathe."
Floyd later died and the video, which was uploaded on Facebook went viral causing mass unrest in Minneapolis against police brutality.
