The protests have turned to riots at Minneapolis (Minnesota) for the fourth consecutive night since the death of George Floyd during his arrest by the municipal police. Thousands of individuals, gathered to seek justice, have set fire to cars and shops and clashed against the police with stones. The rioters have invested and set on fire the office of the commissioner of the 3rd district, nearest the place where George Floyd was arrested. The buildings had been evacuated by the police. Shops were vandalised and a supermarket looted, in Minneapolis and in the twin city of St. Paul, which is also the capital of the State.
see also : In Minneapolis, “the man with the umbrella”, the incarnation of the distrust of the police.
The president, Donald Trump has responded on Thursday evening by a message on Twitter, warning the looters and warned that measures would be taken to restore order. “I can’t stay indifferent looking at what happens in a large american city, Minneapolis,” wrote Trump. “A total lack of direction. The very low mayor of the radical left, Jacob Frey, pulls himself together and regains control of the city, or I send in the national guard and do the job properly. These thugs dishonor the memory of George Floyd, and I’m not going to let that happen. I just talk to governor Tim Walz and I told him that the army would support until the end. At the slightest difficulty, we will take the control, but when one starts to loot, you begin to shoot. Thank you!”
The governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, was mobilized Thursday afternoon the national guard and declared a state of emergency. Five-hundred and a soldier have been deployed in the field. Walz said he supported peaceful protests, but that the destruction committed justify new measures to maintain order. “Unfortunately, some people engaged in illegal activities and dangerous, including arson, riots, looting and damage to public and private property”, said the governor Walz in his proclamation. “These activities threaten the security of legitimate protestors and other residents and emergency workers and protesters have already been wounded.” A curfew has also been imposed on Friday night.
“I can’t breathe, I’m going to die”
The state of emergency has also been declared in St. Paul and Minneapolis. The capitol of Saint Paul, seat of the State Assembly, has been evacuated as a security measure. The transport was suspended until Sunday, and many shops closed. Thursday evening, the protests spread through other cities in the United States, including New York, Denver, Albuquerque, and Portland, Oregon. Rallies had taken place the previous day in Los Angeles and Memphis.
see also : George Floyd, who was killed by the police in Minneapolis, rappait in his youth alongside DJ Screw
But the peaceful protests have continued at the same time the riots to demand justice. “Please, stay home. Do not come to manifest. Keep in mind George Floyd and the goal of our movement, that is to prevent it from happening again,” called on Twitter, the black mayor of St. Paul, Melvin Carter. Jacob Frey has responded to the message of Trump as “the weakness, it is to refuse to take responsibility for his own actions” and “point the finger at someone else in a time of crisis”. Frey, who is white, had launched the previous days calls for calm and explained that the “sadness and anger are not only understandable, but fair”.
A woman passing by shooting a video terrible, where we see Floyd with his hands behind his back, tackled to the ground against the wheel of his car
George Floyd, age 46, was arrested Monday evening around 8 pm in a busy street in the centre of Minneapolis. The police, alerted by a merchant who had realized a concealment of counterfeit money, speaks to Floyd while he is in his car, parked along the sidewalk. The surveillance cameras, the show is leaving handcuffed without resisting. A small crowd forms. A bandwidth filming a video terrible, where we see Floyd with his hands behind his back, tackled to the ground against the wheel of his vehicle. A police officer keeps his knee on its neck, and its whole weight. George Floyd, the face pressed against the asphalt, groaning, and repeats: “I can’t breathe, I’m going to die.” The spectators ask the police officers to let him breathe. When the employee removes his knee, Floyd lies lifeless. He was transported by ambulance to the hospital where he was declared dead.
eighteen complaints
The police, white said that Floyd has resisted arrest and did not mention that they have kept it on the ground for long minutes. The video, circulated by the social networks, has since become viral, and has sparked a wave of protests throughout the United States.
The four police officers involved have been relieved of their duties. Derek Chauvin, who pressed his knee against the neck of George Floyd, had been the subject of ten-eight complaints, of which only two were the subject of sanctions, in the case of letters of reprimand. Friday, he was finally arrested and indicted for manslaughter, a measure “late” and inadequate, according to the family of the deceased. “We want an indictment for intentional homicide with premeditation. And we want to see the other agents (involved) stopped,” she said in a press release. Another police officer had also been the subject of complaints, including excessive use of force.
Two investigations have been opened, one by the State of Minnesota, and the other at the federal level. Nothing helps for the moment to say whether these measures will be enough to calm the spirits. The protests have quickly picked up on Friday afternoon in Minneapolis and St. Paul, but also in many other american cities, like New York, Atlanta (Georgia) or San Jose (California), or Washington DC. The situation was particularly tense in the early evening around the White House, which was quickly placed in confinement (lockdown).
The editorial team conseilleLes United States under tension after the death of a black man at the hands of the policeMadonna, Justin Bieber, Snoop Dogg… the wrath of The stars after the death of George Floyd during an arrest policièreSujetsGeorge FloydDonald TrumpDerek ChauvinEtats-UnisMinnesotaMinneapolisEmeutesViolence policière161 commentairesChristophe R3the 30/05/2020 14:47
Decidedly regardless of continent, some populations have a tendency to translate their thirst for justice in the systematic looting.
Jocassele 30/05/2020 14:32
Manslaughter ? My eye !
Jocassele 30/05/2020 14:18
poor Derek Chauvin receives only a miserable salary of a police officer while he performs most of his difficult profession of judge and executioner. I suggest that some of its supporters to open a pool Leetchi to help him.
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