First of all Mayor Frey, the protests turned into riots days ago. And instead of arresting those responsible for turning your city into a war zone, you tell them their behavior is “right” and “understandable.” Further, you encourage them to “exercise caution to stay safe while participating in demonstrations, including wearing masks and physical distancing as much as possible.” I’m sorry, but this is insanity.
Here is the message from the mayor of Minneapolis to his citizens:
The City encourages everyone to exercise caution to stay safe while participating in demonstrations, including wearing masks and physical distancing as much as possible to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The City has made hundreds of masks available to protesters this week.
What we’ve seen over the last two days, and the emotion-ridden conflict over last night, is the result of so much built-up anger and sadness, anger and sadness that has been ingrained in our black community not just because of five minutes of horror but 400 years. If you’re feeling that sadness and that anger, it’s not only understandable. It’s right.
It’s a reflection of the truth that our black community has lived. While not from lived experience, that sadness must also be understood by our non-black communities. To ignore it, to toss it out, would be to ignore the values we all claim to have. That are all the more important during a time of crisis.
It is neither right, nor understandable. It is infantile, destructive, criminal and completely divorced from the reason for the protests riots.
My colleague, Nick Arama, posted on Frey’s decision to evacuate the police from the city’s 3rd Police Precinct building after it had been attacked.
Fox9 reported:
Frey said he made the decision to sacrifice the building and call off officers as rioters moved in. He told reporters early Friday morning that the decision came down to safety for both officers but members of the public.
Brick and mortar is not as important as life.
Americans are unanimous in their condemnation of fired police officer Derek Chauvin’s heinous act last Monday. If there is anyone who has said it’s okay, I’m not aware of it. But allowing the destruction of property and businesses does absolutely nothing to right the wrong which happened.
Those who participate in the riots that have spread across America aren’t exercising their constitutional rights to free speech and peaceful assembly. The Constitution doesn’t grant citizens the right to destroy property and steal because they’re angry. These people are criminals who are committing criminal acts. And they need to be stopped.
Fox News is reporting that 1,700 National Guardsman will be awaiting the rioters in the city tonight. Further, military police units will be on alert throughout the nation as well. This grave situation requires force, not empathy.
.@MayorFrey urges rioters to wear masks and practice social distancing. https://t.co/hzdjJ7vFnZ
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) May 30, 2020
Video of my full remarks from earlier this morning.
“Being Black in America should not be a death sentence.
For five minutes, we watched a white officer press his knee into a Black man’s neck. Five minutes.
This officer failed in the most basic, human sense.” https://t.co/4cfPkSsf1A
— Jacob Frey (@Jacob_Frey) May 26, 2020
Protesters breached the Minneapolis police precinct in the neighborhood where George Floyd died in police custody, setting fire to the building as dozens watched it burn late Thursday https://t.co/MJ0JibRJFh pic.twitter.com/nV535R5sVL
— TIME (@TIME) May 29, 2020
