Angry crowds set a police precinct on fire as protests continue over the police killing of a handcuffed black man. The Minnesota governor has called on the national guard and a local emergency has been declared.
What began as peaceful rallies escalated on Thursday night as protesters in two cities in the US state of Minnesota vented their anger over the death of an unarmed black man in police custody. George Floyd was seen on video gasping for air while a white police officer knelt on his neck.
Minnesota State Governor Tim Walz called on the National Guard and a local emergency has been declared in the city of Minneapolis after gas lines to the Third Precinct were cut and other explosive materials were found in the building.
The precinct, which police had abandoned, was set alight after some demonstrators pushed through barriers around the building, smashing windows and chanting slogans. A much larger group of people remonstrated as the building went up in flames.
In St. Paul, which shares the same metropolitan area, the police department reported over 170 businesses damaged or looted, and dozens of fires but no serious injuries so far.