Minneapolis City Council pledges to dismantle local police department amid protests

The Minneapolis city council on June 7 decided on dismantling the police department and rebuilding a new one, saying that the reform in policing will only take place through a new department as the older one was not reformable. Minneapolis is the city where the killing of an unarmed African-American man by a white police officer late last month sparked nationwide protests, calling for reforms in policing and end in racial discrimination. 

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Council President Lisa Bender while talking to the press said that they had committed to dismantle the police department and rebuild a new public safety policy to keep the community safe, which they are trying to fulfill. Alondra Cano, a member of the council who voted for the dismantling of the police department took to social media where she wrote, "A veto-proof majority of the MPLS City Council just publicly agreed that the Minneapolis Police Department is not reformable and that we're going to end the current policing system."

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US protests

The United States is currently rattled by protests that erupted across the country over the killing of George Floyd by a Caucasian police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Derek choked Floyd to death by pinning him on the ground with a knee on the back of his neck. An 8-minute-long horrific video of the incident went viral on social media in which Floyd was heard pleading to the officer to let him go as he can't breathe. Floyd's last words 'I can't breathe' became the slogan of the protests that initially started in the United States and later spread to the other countries as well. 

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Protests in some parts of the United States grew violent which forced several states to impose a curfew and call in the National Guard to take control of the situation after looting and destruction of properties started. Demonstrations outside the White House went out of control too, following which Secret Service had to step in to bring the situation under control. US President Donald Trump reportedly had to hide inside the White House bunker for hours. Trump has alleged that the protests that are taking place across the country are professionally organised by far-left groups.  

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(Image Credit: AP)