Neighbors band together to clean up businesses after looting and destruction erupted from George Floyd
NEIGHBORS banded together to clean up businesses on Saturday, after looting and destruction erupted from George Floyd protests the night before. Crowds of people were seen with brooms and trash bags, cleaning up debris from the demonstrations. Video shared by Fox News showed crowds with brooms and shovels moving water across the pavement to wash […]
NEIGHBORS banded together to clean up businesses on Saturday, after looting and destruction erupted from George Floyd protests the night before.
Crowds of people were seen with brooms and trash bags, cleaning up debris from the demonstrations.
Video shared by Fox News showed crowds with brooms and shovels moving water across the pavement to wash sidewalks and parking lots in Minneapolis.
Others carried garbage bags to hold debris left scattered near buildings that had their windows smashed in the demonstrations as people protested the death of Floyd and police brutality.
One picture showed people wearing face masks as they picked up a destroyed sign, left in a pile of rubble.
Other pictures showed people moving bricks, as piles of blocks lay around smoldered buildings.
Demonstrations grew increasingly violent throughout the week, as video emerged of Derek Chauvin, a white Minnesota cop, kneeling on the neck of Floyd, a 46-year-old black man.
Floyd could be heard saying “I can’t breathe” multiple times in the video as he lay face-down on the ground in handcuffs – but Chauvin did not move his knee.
After it was realized that Floyd was unresponsive, he was rushed to the hospital – but he died.
Public outrage was sparked when the video of the Minneapolis incident began to circulate on Tuesday.
Protests across the nation erupted, and people set fire to buildings in Minneapolis.
TV images showed people looting businesses in the city.
Protesters earlier this week called for Chauvin and the other officers involved in Floyd’s death to be arrested.
The protests came as:
- A preliminary autopsy report revealed that the brutal restraint during his arrest and “underlying health conditions” contributed to Mr Floyd’s death
- Officer Derek Chauvin was arrested and charged with third-degree murder
- Derek Chauvin’s wife, Kelly filed for divorce and said her “sympathy lies” with George’s grieving family
- Floyd’s grieving girlfriend pleaded for people to demonstrate peacefully because violent riots “would devastate him”
- President Donald Trump praised Secret Service for coming down “hard” on “frisky or out of line” protesters
- Former President Barack Obama said Floyd’s death “can’t be normal in 2020 America” and said Americans “must be better”
On Friday, Chauvin was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Demonstrators have continued to protest, however, as they speak out against police brutality.
Early Saturday, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz blamed “international destabilization” and “domestic terror” for the increasingly violent protests.
He also announced that he is fully mobilizing the state’s National Guard for the first time in history.
Walz said last night he believes “white supremacists” and “cartels” were mixing in with crowds of demonstrators.
He continued: “The absolute chaos… this is not grieving, and this is not making a statement that we fully acknowledge needs to be fixed.”
Walz estimated that 80 percent of protestors in Minneapolis are from out-of state.
Minneapolis implemented an 8pm curfew across the city – but protestors denied it on Friday.
Walz said that peaceful protests will continue on Saturday, as he showed support for those demonstrations.
He said he will protect people’s right to peaceably assemble.
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At least two people have died amid the protests around the US.
A 19-year-old was shot when someone opened fire into a crowd in Detroit, Michigan on Friday.
In Oakland, California, a Federal Protective Service officer was shot dead.
Another officer was injured in gunfire.