Well, by now, social unrest in Minneapolis, worsening by the day, has become an international story. The world is watching as protesters breached the Minneapolis 3rd Police Precinct building and set it ablaze on Thursday night.
The police station on E. Lake Street, across from the Target that was looted and burned on Wednesday, has been the center of demonstrations this week as people demand justice after the death of George Floyd, who died in police custody on Monday.
On early Friday morning, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey explained his reasonings to evacuate officers from the 3rd Police Precinct.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey addresses the burning of a police precinct amid protests over the fatal arrest of George Floyd: "The symbolism of a building cannot outweigh the importance of life, of our officers or the public." pic.twitter.com/ALUNx4yfcU
— CBS News (@CBSNews)
As police officers were evacuated from the precinct, some reports said by a helicopter, the Minneapolis National Guard entered the city with 500 armed soldiers and fully armored Humvees.
One Twitter user captures a video of "multiple Humvees probably from the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Air Station are headed to the 3rd Precinct."
Multiple Humvees probably from the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Air Station are headed to the 3rd Precinct. Video from Snap Map. pic.twitter.com/IeVlvfb0zW
— Edgar (@edgar2k20)
An up-close shot of National Guard Humvees on Minneapolis streets.
WATCH: Vehicles thought to be National Guard seen about 39 mins ago in #Minneapolis (Given the military surplus program, where police gets military equipment, this could be the PD, but its very unlikely they have HMVS.) pic.twitter.com/YOiO5rb1n8
— AS-Source News / MILITARY〽️ (@ASBMilitary)
More video of the National Guard mobilizing on city streets as social unrest spirals out of control.
Update: The national guard are now on the streets of #Minneapolis after a third straight night of violent protests #GeorgeFloydpic.twitter.com/NVHcZpchM9
— Shark NewsWires (@SharkNewsWires)
So here's where shit hit the fan on Thursday night. Unicorn Riot News, documented the moment, via live stream when protesters stormed the Minneapolis 3rd Police Precinct building. Video from inside the police station shows protesters igniting fires, and at one point, someone lights a weapon storage closet on fire, and ammunition can be heard exploding.
LIVE VIDEO: The fire alarms just went off at the third precinct. There are fires everywhere. Ammunition is exploding. #minneapolisriots #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/kcTcFvsFSD
— Minneapolis Updates (@EgyptianWeeknd)
Protesters cheer in front of the police station as it burns.
Video of the police station burning.
The 3rd Precinct is burning to the ground. pic.twitter.com/QTdybRvNc0
— Keaon Dousti کیان (@KeaonDousti)
Protestors chanting “I can’t Breath” as 3rd precinct burns #minneapolisriots #GeorgeFloydprotest pic.twitter.com/Tu1UH4gMvf
— Zach Boyden-Holmes (@Boydenphoto)
Unicorn Riot News tweeted: "Minnesota National Guard w Humvees, rifles and fire truck posted up at an intersection a few blocks away from 3rd Precinct."
Despite President Trump's ongoing battle with social media companies, and signing an executive order on Thursday afternoon to punish these companies for their treatment against conservative media, Twitter accused the president of violating its rules by "glorifying violence," after he tweeted, looters at protests in Minneapolis would be shot.
As for the chaos and destruction, here's what happened last night along with raging fires and looting that continue into Friday morning:
St. Paul O’Reilly is set ablaze pic.twitter.com/5QTnncNW1L
— Nick Ferraro (@NFerraroPiPress)
Arbys. We had the meats. pic.twitter.com/oWp6ZdjKda
— ZΛY ⓥ (@Sekou_SZN)
Huge fires in St. Paul
— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls)
.#MN #Mpls #Mplsriot2020 #GeorgeFloyd #MinneapolisRiot #StPaul pic.twitter.com/hijlsXRfuI
2322 Washington Ave N, gas station on fire, tanks exploding.
— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls)
AUDIO: https://t.co/eJ8c9qzQ3G
.#MN #Mpls #Mplsriot2020 #GeorgeFloyd #MinneapolisRiot pic.twitter.com/VMbEF7pqwC
View from I94 and Hiawatha.
— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls)
.#MN #Mpls #Mplsriot2020 #GeorgeFloyd #MinneapolisRiot pic.twitter.com/EYgDft7UGE
Minneapolis burns. pic.twitter.com/XIZwNRbba1
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim)
Jim Roberts, editor in chief at Cheddar, reports that "170 buildings damaged or looted" in the overnight hours.
Minneapolis unrest spread to St. Paul; 170 buildings damaged or looted. https://t.co/92BGdUd2vg pic.twitter.com/awyhgW98ZS
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim)
Fires are still raging into the early morning.
It’s 4:48 am now in Minneapolis, and fires are out of control. Via @wcco.https://t.co/0K5P8O6OEA pic.twitter.com/lYuTg9Dnd3
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim)
Smoke from fires are so dense, local weather radar is picking up on the "15-mile smoke plume."
Radar image shows 15-mile smoke plume rising from firest in #Minneapolis following third night of violence. https://t.co/0K5P8O6OEA pic.twitter.com/ymiD6ujbpG
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim)
Fires continue to rage as daybreak arrives.
Day breaks in #Minneapolis. Live feed from @WCCO https://t.co/fmS00Tl2xE pic.twitter.com/akUjNJQvtc
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim)
Businesses continue to burn near Third Precinct headquarters in #Minneapolis. Live feed via @wcco: https://t.co/fmS00Tl2xE pic.twitter.com/zkCq9DaKUg
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim)
Minnehaha and 27th Ave S, one block from Minneapolis Police’s 3rd Precinct, 6:40am. MFD fighting fires along 27th. State Patrol and conservation officers formed line. pic.twitter.com/zquyaiC163
— Tony Webster (@webster)
Perhaps what is most notable about the whole farce is the fact that many local residents - not just white ones - are furious at what the "thugs" are doing.
As Summit News reports, a video clip shows a black woman and former NAACP chapter president trying to collect medication for her daughter outside a Target store in St. Paul telling rioters “these motherf**kers need to go home!”
“Leave this shit alone – “these motherf**kers need to go home!” she shouts, "these people don’t give a damn about George Floyd.”
Diane Binns, 70, of St. Paul is angry at the people here. Binns came here to get medication for her daughter. pic.twitter.com/GA1EJpx4XL
— Ricardo Lopez (@rljourno)
The woman subsequently identified herself as Diane Binns, former president of the NAACP St. Paul from 2016-2018.
Critically, for the narrative-minded among you, she says she attended the initial protest against the killing of Floyd but after 30 minutes realized “it was going to be a riot, so I left.”
America is quickly descending into chaos as social unrest could spread to other major cities this weekend. Wealth inequality in many inner cities is at record levels. More than 40 million people are unemployed with a crashed economy, and people are already furious about virus lockdowns. This all suggests a perfect storm of unrest could flare up across the country.
We warned of the possibility of this in late March, "West Faces "Social Bomb" As Pandemic Sparks Unrest Among Poorest."
