Tipsheet

Did Minnesota's Governor Say that White Supremacists are Part of the Chaos in Minneapolis?

Minneapolis has once again descended into chaos. The police have retreated. And where is the National Guard? Well, they set up a defensive perimeter, and then they ran away. I’m not kidding. Our own Julio Rosas is on the ground reporting on the chaos and was hit with a rubber bullet in the chest in the process.

A curfew was imposed, but of course, no one is following it. Did people think that would be adhered to in this situation? It’s anarchy. It’s chaos. And I guess we cannot be shocked, given that the political leadership gave a stand-down order last night and allowed rioters to overrun and burn down a police headquarters. 

First reports show that around 500 National Guardsmen have been deployed. That is not enough. Today, the Guard and police showed up just in time to protect the smoldering ruins of Minneapolis only to be pushed back by an unruly mob. Is this worse than the Freddie Gray riots in Baltimore or the Michael Brown chaos in Ferguson? 

We’ll keep you updated, but tonight and this weekend look very grim for many parts of the country, especially Minneapolis. As long as law enforcement is feeble in responding to the mass looting, it will continue. 

Right now, in Atlanta, CNN’s headquarters in totally under siege by rioters, with reports of the lobby devolving into a warzone. These protests, some you know have devolved into riots, are over the horrific death of George Floyd, who died in the custody of Minneapolis police. Floyd was arrested for a forgery charge, but after his apprehension, he died when an officer pressed his knee on the back of his neck for nearly ten minutes. Police say he was intoxicated when approached, but that’s irrelevant. He was placed under arrest. He was handcuffed, lying on the ground with now-former Officer Derek Chauvin’s knee on his neck. Floyd is heard yelling that he couldn’t breathe before he died. All four officers involved were fired. Chauvin was arrested on third-degree murder and manslaughter charges. The Department of Justice and the FBI are also investigating this incident. 

The anger is warranted. Protests are warranted, but not rioting. Not the chaos we’re seeing right now. 

This is a breaking news story. We’ll keep you updated.

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UPDATE: I, for one, am shocked by this development.

UPDATE II: U.S. Army activates military police units for deployment, but many reporters noted that last night was very much like the chaos that broke out on Thursday. 

UPDATE III: Firefighters arrive to fight some blazes with National Guard escort, with reports that law enforcement units would move in an enforce curfew mandate. 

UPDATE IV: Gov. Tim Walz gives his reason for lack of security, which may be legitimate, but I'm super suspicious about the whole white supremacist angle