Minneapolis and St Paul attended protests against police assassination of 46-year-old George Floyd (AFP)
New Delhi:
US President Donald Trump’s tweet about the violence that erupted in Minnesota after the death of a handcuffed black man at the hands of the police, which was filmed, was reported by Twitter.
The decision to report the President’s tweet through the world‘s largest microblogging site led by CEO Jack Dorsey is likely to intensify the struggle between the two to control online content.
“I can’t stand back and watch this happen in a big American city, Minneapolis. A complete lack of leadership. Either the very weak mayor of the radical left, Jacob Frey, will pull himself together and control the city, or I will send the National Guard and get the job done right, “Trump tweeted.
The President made reference to a Minnesota police station that caught fire on Thursday during a third day of protests as the so-called twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul boiled with shocking police who killed George Floyd , 46 years.
Floyd was arrested on Monday by Minneapolis police on suspicion of using a counterfeit bank note. The police handcuffed him and kept him on the ground, with a video of a spectator showing an officer leaning his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck. The videos showed Mr. Floyd saying that he could not breathe until he became silent and lame. He was later declared dead.
…. These THUGS dishonor the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. I just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the military was with him all the time. Any difficulty and we will take control but, when the looting begins, the shooting begins. Thank you!
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020
“These THUGS dishonor the memory of George Floyd, and I will not let that happen. I just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the army was with him all the time. Any difficulty and we will take it check, but when the looting begins, the shooting begins. Thanks! “Mr. Trump tweeted.
This message was reported by the microblogging site, which said it was “violating Twitter’s rules on the glorification of violence. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public interest that the Tweet remain accessible”.
Hundreds of people started walking in Minneapolis – many are wearing masks to protect themselves from the new coronavirus – while in St Paul, just east, police said there was looting going on, several fires were reported on Thursday.
Officials assured angry residents that investigations are underway into the death of Floyd and have warned that the violence will not be tolerated, AFP news agency reported.
At the request of the two cities, the governor of Minnesota called hundreds of soldiers from the National Guard and the state police to help with security. “The death of George Floyd should lead to justice and systemic change, not death and destruction,” AFP told Walz.
Dorsey’s war with Trump started after Twitter checked the President’s tweets on postal voting, which Trump said would lead to what he called a “rigged election” in November.
There is no evidence that attempts are being made to rig the elections, and under tweets Twitter posted a link that said, “Get the facts on the postal ballots”.
With AFP inputs
