Minnesota deploys more troops to counter violence, governor warns protesters of harsh response

The Minnesota Governor ordered the deployment of additional forces from the National Guard on Saturday, calling for the utmost strictness with the rioters, after renewed violence at night in the city of Minneapolis and protests against police brutality spread across the United States.

On Saturday night, US President Donald Trump denounced the riots in Minneapolis after the killing of George Floyd in the hands of the police, saying that what this city witnessed was made by “thieves and anarchists”.

“The death of George Floyd on the streets of Minneapolis is a serious tragedy,” Trump said at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where he was following the flight of American astronauts. But he added that Floyd’s memory had been offended by “rioters, thieves and anarchists”, calling for “reconciliation, not hate, and justice, not chaos”.

Officials in about a dozen cities fear the increase in violence, after protests over the murder of Floyd in the hands of the Minneapolis police this week sparked outrage and protests against police abuse of African Americans.

On Friday, the United States experienced one of the worst nights of civil unrest in decades.

Cars and police stations were burned in New York, Dallas, Atlanta, and others, and a demonstration was held for hours in front of the White House.

Minnesota Governor Tim Falls said he had ordered a general mobilization of the state’s 13,000 National Guard personnel to bridle the rioters who committed looting and set fire to the St. Paul area of ​​Minneapolis, in an unprecedented step since World War II.

The governor said he had discussed with the Pentagon the deployment of army forces.

The New York Times reported that the military police were put on alert at the request of Trump, which in turn was an unprecedented step for decades.

Falls said he supported the peaceful protests that took place during the day in honor of Floyd, whose cell phone recording documented his death.

However, Valls considered that the protesters continued their actions after eight in the evening, violating the curfew and causing major damage in the city unrelated to the killing of Floyd.

We expect the curfew to be enforced.

We expect to re-impose the system”.

He warned that “the situation will be dangerous on the street tonight,” considering that the rioters belong to subversive groups and groups that believe in the superiority of the white race.

The governor said that the goal of the security reinforcements is to “eliminate” them as quickly as possible.

Minneapolis has become a hotbed of violence since George Floyd, an African American, spent his arrest, after a policeman knocked him to the floor and held him for several minutes while pressing his knee to his neck to breathe.

The authorities charged police officer Derek Chauven with third degree murder, that is, manslaughter, in addition to the charge of negligence that caused death.

“This case is ready now, and I have been indicted,” said District Attorney Mike Freeman, amid growing anger over George’s unarmed death while in police custody.

However, the indictment failed to calm the black community after the Floyd killing incident rejoiced the wound of racism and inequality.

In Atlanta, demonstrators attacked and burned police cars after the protests spiraled out of control, while clashes between protesters and intelligence personnel took place in front of the White House in the middle of the night.

Trump said he was following “all the steps” taken by intelligence agents, stressing that he felt completely safe.

“They allowed the protesters to scream and rant as much as they wanted, but when one of them crossed the border they were curbing him with full force,” he said in his tweet.

The protests infected a large group of American cities, including Boston, Dallas, Denver, Demoin, Houston, Las Vegas, Memphis, and Portland.

Authorities imposed a curfew Friday in Minneapolis after three nights of protests that sparked fire in many areas of the city.

But the demonstrators, most of whom put on masks to prevent the Corona virus, parked the streets in a defiance of the police, who used tear gas and sound bombs to try to regain control.

Looting was widespread, and pictures of people leaving the stores showed up carrying their goods.

Relatives of Floyd, who spoke to Trump on Friday, welcomed the news of the killing of the policeman as “a step on the road to justice”.

However, they said they hoped for a more severe charge, and that the legal action would include the rest of the police officers involved in George’s arrest and murder.

“We demand that the first-degree murder be charged, and also we want to see the arrest of the rest of the police,” a statement issued by them said.

“The pain the black community feels about this crime and what it reflects about the way black is dealt with is severe and overflowing in the streets of America,” the statement added.

Prosecutor Freeman said that the other three policemen who were present at the time of Floyd’s death are under investigation and charges are expected.

The four policemen were expelled from the police force on Tuesday after a video of George’s arrest and his death appeared.

In Minneapolis, protesters gathered in front of the house of policeman Chovin, who was vandalized Friday, holding up signs in front of cars passing by, chanting as Floyd was shouting.

“All I can do is just cry, cry more,” Tara Balian, 39, told AFP. “It took a long time for people to realize that black lives matter”.

Many victims shouted “I can’t breathe,” which are Floyd’s words as policeman knee pressed his neck.

Trump, after describing the demonstrators as “thugs” and threatening to send federal forces to deal with them harshly, changed his tone Friday, announcing that he had contacted Floyd’s family to express “his sorrow”.

“I understand the harm, I understand the pain,” said the president, who is accused of fanning tension with a series of provocative tweets.

People have suffered a lot”.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, who faces Trump in the race to the White House in the November elections, also spoke to the Floyd family, calling for justice for the victim and for the healing of this open wound to racism in the United States.