Minnesota governor activates National Guard following protests and looting in response to death of George Floyd

• Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order on Thursday declaring a "peacetime emergency" after rioters looted a Target and set fire to an AutoZone.
• The order authorizes the Minnesota National Guard to support "emergency operations" in Minneapolis and elsewhere.
• The move comes amid popular outrage over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed 46-year-old black man who died on Monday after an officer knelt on his neck for eight minutes.
• All four police officers involved in the incident have been fired.

The governor of Minnesota declared a "peacetime emergency" on Thursday, activating the National Guard in response to looting that followed the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man after a police officer knelt on his neck for around eight minutes.

In a May 28 executive order, Gov. Tim Walz said "feelings of anguish, anger, and disillusionment are justified" in response to the death of Floyd. But, "Unfortunately, some individuals have engaged in unlawful and dangerous activity, including arson, rioting, looting, and damaging public and private property."

On Wednesday, peaceful protests over the killing of Floyd were overshadowed by the looting of a Target in Minneapolis. A nearby AutoZone was also set on fire.

Less than a day later, Walz, a Democrat, said he was authorizing the Minnesota National Guard to be deployed in order "to support emergency operations and response."

The deployment comes amid popular outrage over the death of Floyd, a 46-year-old man in Minneapolis. Video recorded by witnesses on Monday showed a white police officer kneeling on Floyd's neck. "Please, please, please, I can't breath," Floyd is heard saying. "Don't kill me."

All four officers involved in the incident were fired the next day.

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