Left-wing documentary filmmaker Michael Moore declared early Friday morning that the Minneapolis Police Department headquarters must be demolished as a “contrition to Black America” in the midst of rioters setting a police precinct ablaze.
“Good citizens burning down the evil police precinct in MN after all police were out & safe. All police should go home,” Michael Moore tweeted. “No violence please. Police HQ must be demolished by the city tomorrow as a show of contrition to black America. Rebuild PD with decent kind ppl aka ppl of color.”
Protests over the police-involved death of George Floyd continued well into the morning Friday in a third day of violence in Minneapolis, while similar disturbances broke out in Louisville, Kentucky, and other parts of the country.
Late Thursday, demonstrators set fire to a police precinct building in the Minneapolis neighborhood where Floyd died Monday after he was restrained by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd’s neck.
Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit bill at a grocery store.
The 3rd precinct building had been evacuated by order of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who said he was unwilling to endanger lives to protect the building.
“I understand the importance of a precinct,” he said. “[But] the symbolism of a building cannot outweigh the importance of life, of our officers, or the public. We could not risk serious injury to anyone and we will continue to patrol the third precinct entirely.”
By 4:30 a.m. Friday, protesters and looters were still out on the streets in the neighborhood as several nearby commercial buildings burned unchecked.
In a pair of tweets, President Donald Trump slammed Frey’s handling of the riots, threatening to send in the National Guard unless order is restored.
I can’t stand back & watch this happen to a great American City, Minneapolis. A total lack of leadership. Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Frey, get his act together and bring the City under control, or I will send in the National Guard & get the job done right,” the president tweeted.
“These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” he added.
The UPI contributed to this report.
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