Free Republic

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says the city's 3rd Police Precinct was ordered to be evacuated late Thursday to avoid 'hand-to-hand combat' with rioters who later stormed the building and set it on fire. . . . Images of rioters setting fire to the 3rd Police Precinct were beamed around the world Friday, symbolizing a city out of control. Several people were pictured inside the building, roaming through its corridors with baseball bats, axes and torches while scrawling graffiti on the walls.

During a press conference on Saturday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) stated that despite the “largest civilian deployment” in the history of the state, law enforcement lacks the numbers to respond to rioting in the state, and that “We cannot arrest people when we’re trying to hold ground.” He also took responsibility “for underestimating the wanton destruction and the size of this crowd.”

On Thursday, former San Francisco quarterback and multi-millionaire racial activist Colin Kaepernick posted a message in support of violent rioting in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after an officer knelt on his neck during his arrest, as shown in a viral video. According to Kaepernick, “civility” is leading to “death,” which means “the only logical reaction” is to “revolt.” “When civility leads to death, revolting is the only logical reaction,” Kaepernick posted to Twitter on Thursday. “The cries for peace will rain down, and when they do, they will land on deaf ears,...

CHICAGO (CBS) — Chicago police officers have been ordered to “no longer use force to disperse large gatherings,” as tensions mount over the months-long stay-at-home order, and protests continue nationwide over the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who pleaded for air as a white police officer kneeled on his neck

... The recorded footage of the arrest showed Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin with his knee placed squarely on Floyd’s neck, while Floyd begged for mercy. Floyd, who didn’t resist arrest, died soon after. Chauvin, who was subsequently fired, had 18 prior complaints filed against him with the police department’s internal-affairs division. In a bizarre twist, it appears that Chauvin and Floyd were also once coworkers: they worked security at the same nightclub, and possibly knew each other. The protests that followed were, initially, peaceful. Thousands packed the streets on Wednesday with signs and calls for Chauvin’s arrest. By that...

Reporting from Minneapolis, CNN reporter Sara Snider said the protesters owned the streets while wading through what appeared to be hundreds of protesters lighting buildings ablaze in the downtown area. "We are an hour and 12 minutes past curfew and, right now, the protesters rule the streets," Snider said. "The National Guard, nowhere to be seen, the state police, nowhere to be seen, the local police, nowhere to be seen, the sheriff's department, nowhere to be seen. The protesters are the ones that feel like these streets are their streets."

Chief Justice Roberts joined the the liberal bloc of the Supreme Court in deciding Governor Newsom has the right to deny churchgoers the right to assemble during this pandemic. Once again, Roberts’ logic is muddled as he this time sided with the far left against the First Amendment of the United States. The Hill reported: "The Supreme Court issued a rare late-night ruling on Friday against a California church challenging their state’s stay-at-home order. In a 5-4 vote, Chief Justice John Roberts broke from other conservative justices to rule in favor of the state. The case was brought by the...

The mayor of Minneapolis told individuals protesting that their anger is “understandable” and “right" but urged them to make sure they are wearing masks and practicing social distancing during their demonstrations. “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,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s office wrote in a statement addressed to individuals who took to the streets following the death of George Floyd while in police custody. “The City has made hundreds of masks available to protesters this week.”...

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) requested on Thursday that “protesters” in the City of Lakes practice social distancing and wear masks to reduce coronavirus transmission. The municipal government claimed to provide hundreds of masks to the public for this purpose. Frey’s comments came during ongoing protests and riots in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd, a man who died after a municipal police officer placed his knee on Floyd’s neck while handcuffed. The city government issued a statement on Thursday via its website with the mayor’s request. “The City encourages everyone to exercise caution to stay safe while participating...