Tipsheet

Anarchy Engulfs Minneapolis: Police, Firefighters Stand Down As Rioters Burn City to the Ground

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  May 28, 2020 9:25 PM

[WARNING: This post contains some strong language]

Our own Julio Rosas is on the ground to cover the chaos that is engulfing the city of Minneapolis. Protests have erupted here and across the country over the horrific death of George Floyd. Floyd was arrested on a forgery charge, placed in handcuffs, and then an officer placed his knee on his neck for nearly ten minutes. Floyd is heard begging with police that he couldn’t breathe. 

All four officers involved were fired. Yet, what happened last night was anything but justice for Floyd. This is an outrageous incident. The video footage is ghastly but burning down the AutoZone and looting en masse does nothing to address this situation. You all saw footage of the Target that was virtually cleared out.  One looter appears to have been shot by a pawn shop owner. 

Rosas documented the conditions on the ground throughout the day and found that the looting activity has not decreased. Of course, Black Lives Matter activists are there and based on reports from Rosas, they’re trying to stop the looting.

"From what I've seen, there are three groups of people that are out right now,” he said. 

Recommended

Is This Why Trump Rolled Out a Ton of Controversial Picks? Matt Vespa
Fired FEMA Official Just Dug Herself a Deeper Hole Mia Cathell

“There are Black Lives Matters protesters who are only interested in peacefully protesting, there are those who are part of the protest and also have participated in the looting, and there are those who are just interested in looting the nearby stores and rioting against police,” he added. A lot of this he documented on his Twitter account. 

Rosas added, “I have seen Black Lives Matter protesters repeatedly tried to stop rioters from causing trouble. However, the rioters appear to outnumber those who are just interested in peacefully protesting.” 

As nightfall descends on Minneapolis, it seems that the looting and other felonious activity will continue. The city has asked for the National Guard to be deployed, but let’s not forget that Guard units were dispatched to Baltimore after the Freddie Gray died in police custody. It was still intense. 

Rosas was even caught in the fray, being shot with a pepper ball by police. He said he was lying on a hill as law enforcement approached a group of rioters hurling objects at police; Rosas was nearby. He had his hands up and he was still hit by police. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice are investigating this matter, with President Trump calling this a top priority. 

UPDATE: Rosas was interviewed on Fox News' Ingraham Angle tonight. As the media spot concluded, the situation around him was rapidly devolving. Stay safe, man.

UPDATE II: Minneapolis Police HQ in 3rd Precinct has been evacuated, overrun by rioters. Where is the National Guard? 

UPDATE III: National Guard supposedly set to deploy 500 troops, which doesn't seem like it will be enough. The city is in total chaos. Police and firefighters have reportedly been told to stand down and residents are fleeing. 

UPDATE IV: Julio has covered many protests, some with very hostile crowds. He's never seen anything like what he's witnessing in Minneapolis.