Published 13:34 IST, May 30th 2020
George Floyd's death: Curfew imposed in Minneapolis after violent protests
Curfew was imposed from 8 pm to 6 am local time and would go into effect as of May 30, until 8 pm after violent unrest broke out in Minneapolis.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey ordered a strict curfew in the biggest city in US midwest state of Minnesota following three consistent nights of the violent demonstrations over the death of an unarmed African American George Floyd in police custody. Effective May 29, the curfew was imposed from 8 pm to 6 am local time and would go into effect as of May 30, until 8 pm. This comes after a video of white officer Derek Chauvin emerged in which he pinned Floyd to the ground by the knee while he was handcuffed, resulting in his death.
Frey ordered law enforcement, fire and medical personnel and national guard troops to be deployed in the area to maintain decorum. Further, any violators flouting the curfew would be penalised with US $1,000 or imprisonment for up to 90 days. Also, the order of local emergency was duly signed by the city of St. Paul’s Mayor, Melvin Carter that exempted the media reporters from the curfew.
As of May 28, the demonstrators clashed with the police forces as they broke into a Minneapolis police precinct station and set it ablaze. As the violent flames ripped through the police station, the staff had to evacuate in the interest of the “safety of personnel.” Further, the protesting mob cheered as it ransacked the building, while the fire alarms blared and sprinklers ran. At least seven protesters were shot in Kentucky as the State Troopers arrived to subdue the unrest that spread across the United States.
Trump consults Defence Secretary Mark Esper
In a drastic step, as the violence spread across several states in the US, the Pentagon issued orders to the Army to put several active-duty US military police units on ‘ready to deploy’ to Minneapolis, a news agency reported. Soldiers from Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Fort Drum in New York were ordered to be ready within four hours if called, while defence personnel in Fort Carson, in Colorado, and Fort Riley in Kansas were ordered to be ready within 24 hours. President Donald Trump asked Defence Secretary Mark Esper for military options to help quell the violent protests that descended into looting and arson as situation spiralled out of control, as per a senior Pentagon official’s call, reported by a news agency.
(Images Credit: AP)
Updated 13:35 IST, May 30th 2020