Flames ravaged a Minnesota police station and seven protesters were shot dead in Kentucky as unrest spread in the United States over the deaths of blacks during meetings with the police.
Officers abandoned the Minneapolis city building Thursday evening before protesters broke through barriers, smashed windows and chanted slogans. A fire broke out, which quickly became a blaze which engulfed the structure.
The protests entered their fourth day on Friday and spread beyond Minnesota, with protests breaking out in several states across the country, including Denver, Colorado and Phoenix.
Seven people in Kentucky were shot in a demonstration Thursday against the death of Breonna Taylor – a black woman who was shot after police entered her home in March, local media reported. .
One of the injured was in critical condition, according to the Louisville Metro Police Department. It is not yet clear who fired the shots.
Police responded with a Twitter post asking the city to “choose peace,” alongside a video message from a family member of the killed woman. She asked those on the streets to “go home and be safe and ready to continue the fighting”.
“Thugs”
Thousands of people joined the protests in Minnesota, which were sparked by the death Monday of 46-year-old George Floyd after being arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit bank note.
A video taken by a spectator shows an officer kneeling on the neck while he is nailed to the ground. At one point, Floyd heard that he couldn’t breathe.
As the unrest spreads, President Trump tweeted, “These PUCS dishonor the memory of George Floyd and I won’t let that happen,” in apparent reference to Minnesota protesters, adding that the state governor has the army support.
“Any difficulty and we will take control but, when the looting begins, the shooting will begin.”
Twitter posted the tweet for violating its glorification of violence rules within hours of its appearance.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz earlier called 500 members of the state’s National Guard, but after Twitter tweeted, he defended his decision not to put them on the street after a fire broke out. hung on to the police station.
“Bricks and mortar are not as important as life,” Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey said at a press conference, adding that officers had been deployed to the city to prevent looting.
He added that “anger and frustration” in the streets had to be understood, but that looting was unacceptable.
“Our communities cannot and will not tolerate it. These are businesses, these are community institutions that we need,” said Frey.
The city of Minneapolis called residents of the third district – where the police building is located – to leave for their own safety, claiming that “explosive materials” could be inside and that gas lines to the area had been cut.
Outbreaks of violence seized the city as tensions escalated since the murder of Floyd.
Protesters clashed with law enforcement on Wednesday, looted stores and burned shops and a construction site. They received tear gas and rubber bullets.
One person died as a result of a gunshot wound, and police have reportedly investigated whether he was shot by a store owner.
‘I did not sleep’
On Thursday, the Justice Department promised to conduct a “solid” investigation into the death of Floyd, saying it would make the case a top priority.
The Democrats also called for an investigation into the deaths of two other blacks – Ahmaud Arbery, who was killed by two white men in the city of Brunswick, Georgia, and Breonna Taylor.
Floyd’s family demanded that the officers present at his death be charged with murder. All were dismissed.
“You know, I want an arrest for these four officers tonight. A murder conviction for these four officers. I want the death penalty,” Floyd’s brother Philonise Floyd told CNN.
“I haven’t slept in four days and these officers are sleeping at home,” he said.
Two African American leaders of national stature, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, arrived in Minneapolis on Thursday and called for more protests.
“We told the governor that you must call murder murder,” Jackson told an audience at the Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
