Gov. Walz calls for full mobilization of National Guard, never before done in Minnesota history

[sarisataka]

Source: KSTP- ABC affiliate

Gov. Walz announced Saturday morning that he is authorizing the full mobilization of the Minnesota National Guard, an action never before taken in Minnesota history.

"Last night is a mockery of pretending to honor George Floyd's death," Walz said in a media briefing. "Maintaining and restoring civil order on the street is our main goal."



Read more: https://kstp.com/news/gov-walz-calls-for-full-mobilization-of-national-guard-never-before-done-in-minnesota-history/5745492/?cat=1

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Short story, no more at link

There are approximately 13,000 members of the Minnesota National Guard

[Warpy]

1. Since it is a full terrorist attack by right wing paramilitary thugs

it seems like a prudent action to take. Unfortunately, Walz is listening to wingnuts, black folks weren't the problem. It was white supremacists, mostly from out of state, who were the problem. He needs somebody to hit him with a clue by four before he starts making some terrible mistakes.

[LizBeth]

3. Assuming or know. I have only just started reading the news.

[sarisataka]

6. At his morning press conference he highlighted that outside agitators

are causing much of the violent unrest and specifically mentioned "white supremacists"

[Warpy]

16. Yes, he finally did

I imagine the mayor of St. Paul might have gotten the message across, his own press conference was great.

I do love the fact that they're starting to trace those RWNJs though social media, find out who they are, who their buddies are, and most importantly, who is funding them.

[chillfactor]

14. sorry but at news conference late last night

and this morning Walz did state it is outside agitators who are responsible for the chaos.

[LizBeth]

2. It is not honoring. It is another black murdered by white, on film. Another after many others.

it is about the umpteenth both honoring and protesting. It is about kneeling and losing. It is about endless discussions to be back to back with three white men hunting down, killing and walking free for two months and then three cops sitting on a man for 9 minutes, murdering him on camera while people are telling them to get off and feeling impotent the are not able to save that life.

I asked a friend TWO decades ago, why aren't you angry ALL the time. I would be.

Burn it down, tear it down. Nothing else helps. Pure lifetime of every moment of stepping out that door and aware the the color of skin matters to their survival.

It is not about honoring in the destruction. It is about enough. Why wouldn't we think we would get here.

12 year old boy playing in the park and gunned down in seconds.

[sarisataka]

7. So let the city burn?

Starting with the minority owned businesses and neighborhoods that are the ones currently in flames?

[LizBeth]

8. I have to say with this easy quip, you spent little time considering.

[sarisataka]

10. I have considered quite a bit

I have friends and family in these neighborhoods. I shop these stores.

The victims of this violence, the POC, the Indigenous People, the immigrants who are marching for justice for George, who have protested the MPD and their actions for years- they are the ones who are saying help us. We do not know these people who are destroying our community.

The victims of this violence are the ones I consider because I know THEM and they are now victims twice over

[LanternWaste]

22. At least your friends weren't chocked for eight minutes until dead.

But I get it... ethical convenience dictates we prioritize the personal and ignore the root causes.

[sarisataka]

23. No, no one prevented their forward movement for eight minutes

Not that is something that usually results in death.

But you do not know my family. You do not know my friends. You do not know what they have experienced.

You would not know that after watching TV in the Twin cities as they interview a community leader or MPR speaks with a Native American activist from Standing Rock, I sit down with that person for dinner.

Did I know George Floyd? No, as far as I am aware our lives never crossed paths while he was alive.

Did I know Philando Castile? Yes.

So fuck your presumption of what my friends have experienced and your sophomoric pontificating. The next time you want to type the words ethical convenience stop and take a look in the mirror.

[Skittles]

24. well said, sarisataka

[jaxexpat]

17. You got it. I'm afraid you got it right.

Forced to endure the stomach wrenching reality of death by a routine traffic stop, by a routine traffic cop. That it's routine. The suspicion that every promise of luck or hope comes with a trap; for the life, the mind, the soul, revocable by the sickeningly powerful lies of political men. All the while, clinging, against timeless odds, to sincere respectful memory of the daily, incredible, un-speaking, courageous dignity of so many heroes. Decades of disappointment.

A life of quiet contemplation of life's inequities is the realm of the privileged idle. To live face to face with certain fear every day, year after year is more the quiet desperation. This nation's sainted forefathers didn't so much create a new nation as they distilled horror and enshrined unspeakableness. To see our future, look toward the demolished civilizations of central Asia with their incredible riches and fame lost to memory. Where, today, is mighty Samarkand?

A word for my timid white brethren. The animal that kneed that black dude would be on your neck in a minute if he felt immune from prosecution. Because he likes to do that. It's gratifying for him. And you can't stop him. Yet fire still purifies things, if only for a moment.

[PatrickforO]

4. Apparently the white way, and he's falling right into it.

Horrible injustice to people of color...protests...white agents provocateurs incite violence...white middle class fearful...call in the guard and put down the people of color with force and blood...

That's what power does.

[sarisataka]

9. If you watch local media

including the independent journalists who stream from the street and protests, it is the POC and people of the neighborhoods that are calling for help. Their businesses are being destroyed and much, if not most, of it is being done by people they do not know- outsiders who have come to destroy.

Should he ignore these people?

[ancianita]

5. However good this gov's intentions MF45'll use this tactic across Democratic states to fuck them up.

No matter how clear the intentions of the governors are, National Guard presence is not helpful unless governors use their presence to ferret out the agent provocateurs within citizen uprisings, and bring them to justice.

Otherwise, governors will be used by this president to undermine justice uprisings, transforming them into civil war battles with federal agents.

This president will be at war with the 70% who didn't vote for him. He will terrorize this nation using the National Guard. Governors had better watch their states' backs and support their protestors.

[Massacure]

11. So out of curiosity, how many of these 13,000 members are proficiently trained in riot control?

I imagine the National Guard anticipates having to do this sort of mission from time to time, but I doubt all 13,000 members have that sort of training?

[sarisataka]

12. Not all of them, for sure

I would estimate a third to a half at most have had formal riot training. It is not an often used mission. However the basic training in riot control is not complex and can be given over a day or two.

They have announced at least 2500 troops will join the 500 already on the street. I believe they could double that within 48 hours but half trouble believing they could push it to 10,000.

The non-riot trained troops can assist however in various support roles or in guarding critical locations, freeing riot trained troops and police to go to hot spots.

[alp227]

13. Republican legislative leaders are complaining that the guard was called too late

The Star Tribune reported on Friday:

“Above all else, this is a failure in leadership, and that leadership rests on Gov. Walz’s shoulders. The governor cannot blame the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul,” said GOP Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka. He said Walz should have called in the National Guard right away and a couple of thousand guard members should have been activated, instead of hundreds. Gazelka also said he believes there needs to be more proactive arrests of people committing crimes, and a curfew should have been in place by Thursday.

Walz said that Thursday night he was following a process of waiting for Minneapolis leaders to request assistance before sending in the National Guard. “We were staying in the lane that we were asked to support this,” he said. But after watching the situation deteriorate around the Third Precinct, he said the decision was made shortly after midnight to move in. Soldiers arrived around 3:45 a.m. — by which time it had long been on fire.

Gazelka said Walz should not be asking others for a plan. “It was obvious that the Minneapolis mayor was in over his head. And I think that’s where the governor needed to respond with emergency powers and commander-in-chief over our National Guard — the National Guard was simply waiting for a plan of action,” Gazelka said.

Gov. Walz called the Guard on Thursday, after the protests escalated into arson and looting on Wednesday. How does that turnaround time compare to past deployments of state national guards?

- August 14, 2016: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) activated the National Guard one day after rioting began in Milwaukee over a police shooting.

- April 27, 2015: Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) activated the National Guard two days after violence began to escalate over the death of Freddie Gray in police custody.

- August 18, 2014: After nearly a week of violent clashes between protesters and police in Ferguson following the police shooting of Michael Brown, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) activated the National Guard, following a curfew that began effective August 16.

- April 30, 1992: Just hours following the acquittal of the police officers who beat Rodney King, California Gov. Pete Wilson (R) activated the National Guard at the request of L.A. mayor Tom Bradley (D).

[DallasNE]

15. What's Wrong With The FBI?

Normally you would think that they would have infiltrated these white nationalist groups, known of their plans and passed the information on to local law enforcement and Governors so they could be prepared. Instead, nothing.

[jaxexpat]

18. They don't so much infiltrate these days.....

they're more into escalate, instigate and activate.

[ancianita]

19. EXACTLY. What IS wrong with the FBI. It's mission is SUPPOSED to be THREAT ASSESSMENT.

Apparently, not when real threat comes from either the jackal-in-chief and his Boogaloo pack.

[ancianita]

20. I've googled around and can find nothing since the Ferguson days. All info in years old.

[LiberalArkie]

21. Better him do it than Trump