Update (10:21 ET): On Thursday morning, buildings are still on fire, and protesters are clashing with police.
5:40am in Minneapolis as fires continue to blaze pic.twitter.com/OHtYzSjXOa
— Tony Webster (@webster) May 28, 2020
CVS in Uptown Minneapolis. Cars still arriving at 5:15am and taking stuff by the carload. pic.twitter.com/FU5ViRq3yl
— Tony Webster (@webster) May 28, 2020
Sprinkler system gushing at the Target entrance, 5:45am pic.twitter.com/UohMnEppQy
— Tony Webster (@webster) May 28, 2020
Schools, Dollar Tree, laundromat. 5:50am pic.twitter.com/mror4o9PK9
— Tony Webster (@webster) May 28, 2020
Cub Foods grocery store, 5:55am. Sprinklers gushing here too. (Note for clarification that Cub Foods is different from Cup Foods, where George Floyd was killed.) pic.twitter.com/WR174xYG2F
— Tony Webster (@webster) May 28, 2020
Aldi, 6:10am. Sprinklers on inside. pic.twitter.com/6AVQy1qktI
— Tony Webster (@webster) May 28, 2020
Fire appears to be picking up at 27th Ave S & E 29th St, 6:10am. pic.twitter.com/CJ86BnqjSa
— Tony Webster (@webster) May 28, 2020
Wendy’s has collapsed and is still on fire. 6:15am pic.twitter.com/qF3ulOdvUM
— Tony Webster (@webster) May 28, 2020
AutoZone store in Minneapolis across from 3rd Precinct, still burning, roof and walls collapsed. 6:20am. pic.twitter.com/2nm6bmnDPq
— Tony Webster (@webster) May 28, 2020
Hi-Lake Liquor and Dollar General, 6:30am. Minneapolis Fire Department concentrating on fire at Dollar General. pic.twitter.com/rxZKvurk53
— Tony Webster (@webster) May 28, 2020
Firefighters working as smoke pours out of the Dollar General store, 2136 East Lake Street, Minneapolis. 6:40am. pic.twitter.com/HgTynicm1H
— Tony Webster (@webster) May 28, 2020
Total Wireless cell phone store, 6:35am. Pineda Tacos next door has gushing sprinklers. pic.twitter.com/1iKDX0YCFV
— Tony Webster (@webster) May 28, 2020
Wells Fargo Bank has been broken into and an alarm is blaring. ATM is smashed. Minneapolis Police squads are within view as people go in and out. pic.twitter.com/ZTSFLBTc5q
— Tony Webster (@webster) May 28, 2020
Here’s a 7:30am update about what I’m seeing around the 3rd Precinct. No protests that I can see, but I assume that will pick up as the morning progresses. (Sorry, Twitter cut me off.) pic.twitter.com/6eSR6UAd0d
— Tony Webster (@webster) May 28, 2020
Pictures from within Wendy’s — there’s nothing left…
Protesters spray paint a message on a wall: “Merchandise Can Be Replaced Black Lives Can Not.”
BMW SUV burnt to a crisp
Protesters write “Fuck The Bank” on the wall of U.S. Bancorp. Clearly not happy about their past banking experience.
More retail shops burned
Town Talk Diner, 8am pic.twitter.com/DFGOmCXePi
— Tony Webster (@webster) May 28, 2020
Protesters did not torch a “minority-owned” business.
Another liquor store robbed
Fires at a construction site
* * *
For the second night in a row, peaceful protests over the in-custody death of George Floyd quickly turned violent Wednesday night, with multiple building structures set ablaze, widespread looting, and continued rioting.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey requested Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to deploy the Minnesota National Guard following the social unrest. Demonstrators torched multiple building structures, including an apartment complex and surrounding buildings, an AutoZone, and other retail stores. At least a dozen stores were looted and or damaged.
“That’s like five buildings on fire,” one demonstrator said while talking to Unicorn Riot News.
The way this isn’t the beginning of a movie but real life 💀 #Minneapolisriots pic.twitter.com/alvzPoFXA8
— Hellaindividual🧞♂️ (@hellaindividual) May 28, 2020
Housing complex construction site on 29th/26th is on the verge of collapse. Heat is so intense you can feel blocks away. pic.twitter.com/sXbmQyzHCz
— Liz Sawyer (@ByLizSawyer) May 28, 2020
Fires are spreading. Another building engulfed #Minneapolisriots pic.twitter.com/99eJPhmMqp
— Dr Richard Matthews 🇦🇺🕵️♂️ (@rhematt) May 28, 2020
The entire 3rd precinct is now well ablaze #minneapolisriots pic.twitter.com/kvfJHbuuXk
— Dr Richard Matthews 🇦🇺🕵️♂️ (@rhematt) May 28, 2020
Here are several unbelievable scenes around the apartment complex.
“2020 is really going to go down in the books. This is the typa shit out future kids will read about. This is history in the making,” said one Twitter user while referring to the fires.
Looks like an entire block is on fire.
Home safe. Can’t believe what I witnessed tonight. Don’t really have much to say.. #minneapolisriots pic.twitter.com/l666KDdsjk
— Tacos (@THAFL00D) May 28, 2020
The fire around the apartment building continues to rage early Thursday morning.
Many stores in this “strip mall looted and every window broken,” tweeted one user.
While you’re here be useful: Minneapolis Police Officers to be charged for murder of #GeorgeFloyd – Sign the Petition! https://t.co/NsdTKhSmJr via @UKChange #minneapolis #riots #fires #murder #justiceforgeorgefloyd
— Cameron Grey Rapper/Astronaut from Ohio 🛸👽 (@camerongrey) May 28, 2020
Unicorn Riot News tweeted scenes from outside an AutoZone on Wednesday evening that was burned to the ground.
Unicorn Riot tweeted early Thursday morning that “smoke, fire alarm blaring, sprinklers going off inside Target.” This is the same Target we noted on Wednesday evening that was looted by dozens, if not hundreds of people.
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) May 28, 2020
Deep inside target earlier last night #minneapolis #target #riots #looting #georgefloyd pic.twitter.com/CFCnlCC6Tf
— Cameron Grey Rapper/Astronaut from Ohio 🛸👽 (@camerongrey) May 28, 2020
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) May 28, 2020
The situation is getting tense on Thursday morning: “More militarized police have reinforced the roof and perimeter of the MPD 3rd Precinct building. But they’re just kind of standing around and law enforcement clearly has given up trying to control Minneapolis right now,” Unicorn Riot said.
Confirmed by Unicorn Riot but not official: “AutoZone and Wendy’s are all but burned down at this point. Some new condos under construction have gone up in flames as well.”
Unicorn Riot claims “shots were just fired” possibly at the police station, which is the area where much of the rioting has been based.
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) May 28, 2020
#LIVE from #Minneapolis, many fires still burning by 3rd Precinct building that has been essentially under siege https://t.co/bLVp2TicQv
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) May 28, 2020
Mayor Frey tweeted a plea for an end to the violence:
“Please, Minneapolis, we cannot let tragedy beget more tragedy,” the mayor’s tweet read. “The area along Lake has become unsafe. We are asking for your help in keeping the peace tonight.”
And to make matters worse, social unrest has spread to Los Angeles on Wednesday night, where “black lives matter protesters” surrounded and attacked police cars on Highway 101 in response to what was happening in Minneapolis.
BREAKING NEWS: Black Lives Matter protestors attacking police cars on 101 freeway in LA during #GeorgeFloyd protest @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/iMYnFU2mO6
— Liz Habib (@LizHabib) May 28, 2020
To remind our readers, President Trump signed an executive order in March, giving the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security the authority to activate up to one million National Guard and reservists to support the nationwide response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Though, as we’ve noted, the troops could be used across American municipalities to maintain social order.
A perfect storm is brewing across America’s inner cities of extreme wealth inequality, record-high unemployment, an economic crash, hatred towards cops, and months of lockdowns. All there needed to be was a trigger to ignite the unrest, that trigger could be the death of George Floyd.