‘We Have To Restore Order’: Minn. Gov. Walz Begs Protesters To Stop Burning Down City

TOPLINE

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz begged protesters to resist inflicting more destruction on the city during a press conference Friday, hours after a police station was torched and several other buildings burned during demonstrations in response to the death of George Lloyd.

KEY FACTS

Crucial quote

“The ashes are symbolic of years and generations of pain, of anguish,” Walz added.

Key background

A video of Floyd’s encounter with police went viral on social media on Monday. The clip — which was filmed by a bystander — shows a white police officer pressing a knee to Floyd’s neck for about eight minutes while he lies handcuffed on the ground and exclaims, “I can’t breathe.” A witness on the scene told NBC News that Floyd was “clearly trying to tell them he couldn’t breathe,” while he was being restrained, adding that “[the police] ignored him.” The officers suspected Floyd of trying to use a counterfeit $20 bill at a convenience store, according to The Star Tribune. Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng, the four officers seen in the Floyd video, have been fired but not yet charged; the incident is being investigated by local, state and federal authorities.

Further reading

Protests Erupt Across The Country As Minneapolis Police Precinct Burns (Forbes)

Twitter Flags Trump Tweet Threatening Violence Against Minneapolis Protesters (Forbes)

Trump Signs Executive Order Attempting To Restrict Liability Protections Of Internet Companies Like Twitter (Forbes)

National Guard Called To Minneapolis As Unrest Continues In Wake Of George Floyd’s Death (Forbes)