Minnesota governor fully mobilizes state's National Guard
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced Saturday that he is fully mobilizing the state's National Guard in response to the ongoing unrest in Minneapolis.
The Minnesota National Guard said this marks the first time it's been fully mobilized since World War II, after Walz said this was the first full mobilization in the state's history.
"We are 'all-in' to restore order and maintain and keep the peace in Minnesota," the Guard tweeted.
The situation in Minneapolis "is no longer in any way about the murder of George Floyd," said Walz.
"Our great cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are under assault," Walz said. "The situation in in Minneapolis is now about attacking civil society, instilling fear and disrupting our great city."
He said the state has already deployed about 700 law enforcement, including National Guard members, to handle the protests. He said the Minnesota National Guard will now be out in "full force."
"More than 1,000 additional Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen are activating today," the Minnesota National Guard tweeted Saturday. "This is in addition to the 700 that were on duty as of late last night."
"This represents the largest domestic deployment in the Minnesota's National Guard's 164-year history."
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said most protesters are no longer residents of the city.
"This is no longer about protesting," Frey said. "... This is about violence and we need to make sure that it stops."
