Minnesota Governor extends curfew by day after fifth night of violence
May 31, 2020
Minnesota [USA], Jun 1 : The Governor of the US state of Minnesota has extended until Monday the curfew that was imposed on Friday in response to violent protests in Minneapolis and its nearby cities, following the death of African-American man George Floyd in police custody.
"We have reason to believe that bad actors continue to infiltrate the rightful protests of George Floyd's murder, which is why we are extending the curfew by one day," Tim Walz tweeted.
"Minnesota consistently ranks highly for our public schools, innovation and opportunity, and happiness - if you're white. If you're not, the opposite is true. Systemic racism must be addressed if we are to secure justice, peace, and order for all Minnesotans," he added.
The curfew will be in place from 8 pm Sunday until 6 am Monday.
Clashes in Minneapolis and other US cities were sparked by the death of unarmed black man George Floyd in custody. Anti-racism rallies quickly turned violent, with looting, arson and vandalism continued for five straight nights.
Governor Walz on Saturday activated the full state National Guard for the first time in decades.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged other state governors to use the National Guard to control what he claimed were "Radical Left Anarchists" before it was too late.
Meanwhile, protests across the United States surged on Saturday (local time) as at least six states have called on the National Guard to get the situation under control amid raging demonstrations in Minneapolis and other places after Floyd's demise.
