Minnesota residents are on clean up duty after nights of protest which have often turned violent over the death of George Floyd.
FOX 9 reported that those who live in St. Paul and Minneapolis are using the weekend to clean up after days of protest and looting that led to destruction in properties. In one instance, O’Reilly Auto Parts was set on fire by a crowd. A Wells Fargo branch and a Family Dollar store were also destroyed. Earlier in the week, a police precinct in Minneapolis was taken over and torched.
“We all live in fear,” a local auto shop owner, who chose not to be identified said.
The owner learned from a friend that his business had gone up in flames. He does not know if he’ll be able to open back up again.
READ MORE: Protesters converge on White House for second straight day
An ARMY of volunteers in Minneapolis helping neighbors clean up business damage. “Bring a broom” they were told. What a sight. pic.twitter.com/OjzXpEXCLk
— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) May 30, 2020
It is just incredible to see so many people here this morning helping to clean up. So many of them tell me they saw what was happening last night and just felt called to come help today. Amazing Minnesota. Amazing. pic.twitter.com/Mxk7DLFN3b
— Hannah Flood (@hannahfloodfox9) May 30, 2020
Citizens did their part by heeding the call to help, standing in line to help by either cleaning up the damage and donating food and essentials to those in need and depleted supermarkets.
Gov. Tim Walz activated the National Guard in response to the mayhem. He criticized those who were now exploiting the Floyd tragedy on Saturday.
READ MORE: Minnesota governor mobilizes national guard, says protests are manipulated by ‘domestic terrorists’
Minneapolis has been in unrest since Monday when video showed now-former police officer Derek Chauvin was shown on tape placing his knee on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes, 46 seconds, and kept his knee on Floyd’s neck for 2 minutes 43 seconds after he lost consciousness and pleaded for help. Prosecutors allege that Chauvin used excessive force as police first encountered Floyd as part of an investigation about the unarmed 46-year-old possibly using a counterfeit $20 bill.
What the media won’t show in Minneapolis. Free food, water and resources.
Community is a verb. pic.twitter.com/piKlEqun0t
— zellie (@zellieimani) May 30, 2020
Protests followed Floyd’s death but Chauvin’s arrest did not stop the protest, especially since the other officers involved have not been held accountable. In the view of Walz, he believed that the demand for justice had now been hijacked by agitators.
“The situation in Minneapolis is no longer in any way about the murder of George Floyd, it is about attacking civil society, instilling fear, and disrupting our great cities,” he said.
“As you saw this expand across the United States, and you start to see whether it be domestic terrorism, whether it be ideological extremists to fan the group, or whether it be international destabilization of how our country works.”
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