ive been reading and learning things about whats going on in minneapolis for a good 4 hours and heres all the cold hard facts ive collected so far in case yall dont have the time or the energy to double check everything youve been seeing
George Floyd was executed on camera after being arrested for suspected forgery (a suspicious $20 bill); he was compliant and told the 4 officers he couldn't breathe under the weight of officer Derek Chauvin's knee on his neck, which could be heard and understood by the bystanders filming the incident but did not move any of the 4 officers to stop/intervene.
The paramedics, after arriving on the scene, had to reach under Derek Chauvin's knee to check Floyd's pulse. By the time he had removed his knee, it had been a full 8 minutes, the final 3 of which he had already gone still.
The initial police reports of the incident were at best inaccurate and at worst outright lies. Floyd was described as "suffering medical distress" as they put him in handcuffs and that he "resisted arrest."
After the video surfaced highlighting how disgustingly false this was, they changed the narrative to "man dies after medical incident during police interaction."
All 4 officers were quickly fired, but not charged (however Chauvin just recently was taken into custody for 3rd degree murder)
Protests calling for justice were met with rubber bullets and tear gas fired into crowds (police were the first to turn the protests violent) beginning tuesday
An undercover protester, potentially identified as a St. Paul police officer, attempted to ignite riots by smashing the windows of an autozone as actual protesters told him to stop. He was dressed in all black with an umbrella (it wasn't raining) and tactical boots. People noted that broken glass provoking more vandalism is a known and understood phenomenon in the field of criminal justice.
Rioting, vandalism, and looting began as buildings were set on fire, including the precinct the 4 officers operated from. A local Target refused to sell milk to tear gas victims, and has now been all but destroyed.
A CNN reporter, Omar Jimenez, a poc, was arrested on live television, in an area secured by police and devoid of protesters, after identifying himself and voluntarily complying with their wishes. The reason given was that they were told to move and did not comply (a lie, as noted by the reporters commentating the live broadcast). A white CNN reporter nearby, however, was left alone.
A border protection predator drone circled the city today with no official explanation.
Trump tweeted that "looting leads to shooting," a quote from a 60s miami police chief notorious for civil rights abuses and even welcoming claims of police brutality. Twitter flagged it with a warning that it glorified violence.
Protests have spread to other cities throught the U.S. including Louisville, Memphis, L.A., and more, in response to similar and/or identical systemic issues of racial discrimination and brutality.
Police responses have varied in violence and intensity in each location; one police cruiser drove into the crowd in L.A., and seven people were shot in Louisville.
Minneapolis introduced a curfew to bring an end to the riots, calling in the national guard.
I hope I didn't miss any crucial details. If you are protesting today, make sure to leave anything capable of tracking you at home and that you are wearing a mask (for the virus, tear gas, and anonymity). Please be safe.
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