Protesters Clash With Minneapolis Police After George Floyd’s Death
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Protesters have surrounded a Minneapolis Police precinct Tuesday night in the aftermath of the death of 46-year-old George Floyd, who died after a violent encounter with police about 24-hours earlier.
View from atop a church at the intersection of E 38th St and Chicago Avenue, where people are protesting the death of George Floyd. Speaker just told the crowd that a March will start soon.@WCCO pic.twitter.com/0YrSt2ZbmE— Jeff Wagner (@Jeff_Wagner4) May 26, 2020
Hundreds of people began to gather Tuesday afternoon on the 3700 block of Chicago Avenue, where witnesses filmed a white Minneapolis police officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than seven minutes Monday night. He was later taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
(Video taken at 5:45pm but wouldn't upload due to service issues).— Jeff Wagner (@Jeff_Wagner4) May 26, 2020
Sound of motorcycles revving sends crowd at George Floyd protest running, many confused or scared by what's happening. Motorcyclists actually there in support of protest/march.@WCCO pic.twitter.com/yXJpKQqMS5
Protesters began marching from Chicago Avenue to Minneapolis Police’s 3rd Precinct building two miles northeast early Tuesday evening.
“We’re here to let them know this can’t be tolerated, there will be severe consequences if they continue to kill us this will not go on another day,” a protester said.
Police, outfitted in riot gear, started making a barrier around the precinct at about 7:30 p.m. as protesters began to swarm.
“It’s real ugly. The police have to understand that this is the climate they have created, this is the climate they created,” another protester said.
One video shows some protesters sitting on the ground, while officers deployed smoke bombs or tear gas and flash grenades.
Other videos show protesters smashing squad cars, windows, and throwing bricks and rocks. There have been reports of at least one officer injured in the chaos.
“I got on my knees and I put up a peace sign and they tear gassed me,” another protester said. “And I said, ‘Tear gas me again because non-violence seems healing.'”