In Minneapolis, Minnesota, where African American man George Floyd died due to excessive force by white police officers, protesters broke into a Target store on the 27th (local time), smashing cash registers with hammers and looting goods. / Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lim Juhyung] On the 25th (local time), an incident occurred in Minnesota, USA, where a white police officer excessively restrained an unarmed Black man, resulting in his death, sparking widespread protests condemning the act.
Amid arson and looting, physical clashes between protesters and police broke out, leading to the deployment of the National Guard in some parts of Minnesota.
According to the Wall Street Journal on the 28th, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz requested the deployment of the National Guard. The decision was made following requests from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, according to the media outlet.
Protesters condemning the police's excessive force against George Floyd, a Black man who died in Minneapolis the previous day, clashed with police, escalating into violent confrontations. As police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to suppress the protests, some protesters damaged stores, looted, and set fires.
At a pawnshop in Minneapolis, one person presumed to be a protester was shot and killed. Police stated that the pawnshop owner appeared to have fired at the looting protesters.
The violent incidents spread to other areas as well. In Los Angeles, California, hundreds of protesters blocked highways, chanting "Black lives matter," and clashed with police.
On the 27th, citizens held a rally in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, to commemorate the death of George Floyd. / Photo by Yonhap News
The incident occurred on the 25th in Minneapolis when Floyd, who worked as a restaurant security guard, was restrained by a white police officer around 8 p.m. on suspicion of involvement in a counterfeit crime.
At the time, Floyd pleaded with the police, saying, "I can't breathe. Please don't kill me," but the officer pressed his knee on Floyd's neck to restrain him. The restraint lasted about five minutes, during which Floyd began to bleed from his nose. Floyd was eventually loaded into an ambulance and transported to a nearby hospital but died about an hour later.
The police restraint was filmed by a bystander passing near the scene and spread on social networking services (SNS). Subsequently, thousands of citizens in Minnesota took to the streets to protest against the police's excessive force. American professional basketball player LeBron James and rapper Snoop Dogg also posted protest messages on SNS.
All four police officers involved in the incident were dismissed. Additionally, the FBI has launched an investigation into the case.
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