In the midst of the Minneapolis inferno, Governor Tim Walz addressed his constituents about the issue of "institutional racism" and his own involvement as "a white man."
His words seemed to fan the flames of the riots, empowering the individuals on the streets, and appealing to them to cease the destruction rather than employing law enforcement to enforce order. It was only on May 27, 2020, two days after George Floyd's tragic demise, that Walz considered deploying the National Guard, following a request from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
As the city was engulfed in flames, Walz was slow to deploy the National Guard. Instead, he empathized with the rioters, validating their anguish, and commending the individual who captured George Floyd's arrest on their mobile phone. The rioters in Minneapolis set their city ablaze, with several structures being reduced to ashes.
According to The Post Millennial, law enforcement and fire crews were noticeably absent in preventing the destruction. The New York Times reported that "Over three nights, a five-mile stretch of Minneapolis sustained extraordinary damage. The police precinct house itself was set on fire, after the mayor gave orders to evacuate the building. A month later, the city is still struggling to understand what happened and why."
Governor Walz eventually signed the order to deploy the National Guard, but only after significant damage had been inflicted. It was only after his pleas for peace were ignored that he decided to bring in law enforcement. In his executive order, Walz stated, "It is time to rebuild. Rebuild the city, rebuild our justice system, and rebuild the relationship between law enforcement and those they're charged to protect. George Floyd's death should lead to justice and systemic change, not more death and destruction. As George Floyd's family has said, 'Floyd would not want people to get hurt. He lived his life protecting people.' Let's come together to rebuild, remember, and seek justice for George Floyd."
In his capacity as Governor, Walz affirmed his commitment to defending the right to protest, stating, "It is how we express pain, process tragedy, and create change. That is why I am answering our local leaders' request for Minnesota National Guard assistance to protect peaceful demonstrators, neighbors, and small businesses in Minnesota."
As the Governor was deploying the Guard, his daughter, Hope Walz, was expressing her support for the rioters. She amplified calls for supplies for the rioters and shared information about the deployment, providing them with a timeline of when the troops would be deployed. She was keen to ensure that the rioters were aware that the Guard would not be deployed on the night of May 28, the day after Mayor Frey's request.
In a post on Twitter, Hope Walz wrote, "Could someone who actually has followers relay to the masses that have gotten 'national guard' trending that the guard WILL NOT be present tonight?? there is a lot of misinformation that is further spreading fear and chaos at the scene of the protests. the guard cannot be sent within minutes. it takes time for them to deploy because they come from all over the state, the national guard will not be present tonight."
Governor Walz expressed his support for the rioters, stating, "A society that does not put equity and inclusion at the center of it is certainly going to come to the places we are at." This endorsement of the rioters led to the defunding of the police in Minneapolis.
By the end of the summer, Walz was advocating for a guilty verdict against the arresting officers, primarily for the benefit of the community. "I think certainly if the verdict comes out a not guilty verdict on that, it will be challenging. And we need to not just think about it which were doing the physical security of it. Its these conversations Im in with Black leadership and trying to be out there," he told Politico.
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