Large crowds of protesters gathered in Minneapolis Tuesday in response to the murder of George Floyd.
Floyd died after MPD Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for at least 7 minutes. During the horrific encounter that was captured on cell phone video, Floyd can be heard begging for Chauvin to take his knee off his neck because he could not breathe. Despite Floyd’s pleas for his life and the pleas of onlookers for Chauvin to remove his knee, the officer didn’t let up. Floyd was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead hours later.
Four police officers were fired Tuesday for their roles in the incident. The FBI is taking part in the investigation.
Protesters marched roughly two miles from the site of the arrest to the Minneapolis Police’s 3rd Precinct building. According to CBS Minnesota, officers dressed in riot gear formed a barrier around the precinct, and videos show them using smoke bombs or tear gas, as well as flash grenades, against the demonstrators.
Police in riot gear confronted protestors, shooting tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowds.
One protester tweeted a video of a fellow demonstrator getting hit in the head with an apparent rubber bullet.
This is getting out of control. Is he ok?
— MoDalmar (@modalmar) May 27, 2020
Currently in Minneapolis. Watch till the end before they take down again. #AllLivesMatter #BlackLivesMatters #GeorgeFloyd #NoJusticeNoPeace pic.twitter.com/2dq9lFCrTx
Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar tweeted Tuesday night that, “Shooting rubber bullets and tear gas at unarmed protesters when there are children present should never be tolerated. Ever. What is happening tonight in our city is shameful. Police need to exercise restraint, and our community needs space to heal.”
Shooting rubber bullets and tear gas at unarmed protesters when there are children present should never be tolerated. Ever.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) May 27, 2020
What is happening tonight in our city is shameful.
Police need to exercise restraint, and our community needs space to heal. https://t.co/vwAIV7t5WJ
Andy Mannix, a Star Tribune reporter, posted updates of the events on social media as they unfolded Tuesday. He tweeted footage of people dousing each other with milk after being hit with tear gas, and many hiding behind shopping carts from a nearby Target as they continued the standoff with police. Even when it started pouring rain, hundreds could still be seen protesting.
I got hit w rubber bullet right after taking video of this mayhem scene. I was across the street from the precinct pic.twitter.com/qz1KHNADtQ
— Andy Mannix (@AndrewMannix) May 27, 2020
Here’s a video from right before rain, maybe 20-30 mins ago, of police standoff w protestors pic.twitter.com/zseiAKAXhP
— Andy Mannix (@AndrewMannix) May 27, 2020
4 comments
It is time for us to stand up before it is too late. We are slowly but surely becoming a police state.
I have sons and I am afraid that one day some dumb cop is going to decide that he or she don’t like something about my sons and just straight-up murder them. They seem to get some sick thrill when they kill a Black Man. When it all boils down — it is more of us than it is of them.
[…] First appeared on Black Main Street […]
The time of rekoning is now, no more passive resistence, proactive resistance is called for, those police officers guilty of those atrocities and crimes should be dealt with after they are identified and located, also their superiors who protect them and justify the behaviour.