Protesters stormed Minneapolis again Thursday night, facing down police officers and torching a Minneapolis police station that the department abandoned, according to The Associated Press.
The protests stretched from nearby St. Paul, Minnesota, to cities across the country, as tensions flared over the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who had pleaded for air as a white police officer kneeled on his neck — a story that has captivated the country in recent days.
Similar protests broke out in Louisville over the death of Breonna Taylor, a black woman who was shot dead by white police officers who entered her home back in March, according to The New York Times. Seven people were shot in those protests.
Trump’s response
- In response, President Donald Trump slammed “total lack of leadership” of Minnesota in a tweet.
- Trump wrote: “Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
- Twitter issued a warning for a second Trump tweet, which called the protesters “thugs.” Twitter said the tweet violated the social media platform’s rules for “glorifying violence.”
What it looked like
The Associated Press captured a number of photos from Thursday night’s protests. We’ve rounded up several of the photos and shared them below.
A building burns along University Avenue during a protest, Thursday, May 28, 2020, in St. Paul, Minn. Protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody Monday, broke out in Minneapolis for a third straight night.
John Minchillo, Associated Press
Police officers walk through a cloud of tear gas, Thursday, May 28, 2020, in St. Paul, Minn. Protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody Monday, broke out in Minneapolis for a third straight night.
John Minchillo, Associated Press
Protesters stand in downtown Columbus, Ohio, Thursday, May 28, 2020, during a demonstration over the death of George Floyd in police custody Monday in Minneapolis.
Barbara J. Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch via Associated Press
Protesters hold signs and walk past a line of police in downtown Columbus, Ohio, Thursday, May 28, 2020, during a demonstration over the death of George Floyd in police custody Monday in Minneapolis.
AP
Police watch protesters in downtown Columbus, Ohio, Thursday, May 28, 2020, during a demonstration over the death of George Floyd in police custody Monday in Minneapolis.
AP
Police officers stand together, as people protest in downtown Columbus, Ohio, over the death of George Floyd in police custody Monday in Minneapolis.
AP
LAPD riot police stand by outside City Hall during a protest of the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis, in downtown Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 27, 2020.
Ringo H.W. Chiu, Associated Press
Some context:
- Riots broke out Wednesday night, too, in cities like Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Memphis and more, as I reported for the Deseret News. At least one person was fatally shot in the Minneapolis area for the protests.