'No justice, no peace': Protesters breach Minneapolis police precinct, set fires in the wake of George Floyd's death

MINNEAPOLIS — Protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death boiled over Thursday night as protesters gained access to the Minneapolis Police Department’s 3rd Precinct building, setting it on fire and forcing officers to evacuate.

In an early Friday news conference, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he made the decision to surrender the building as the crowd of protesters grew and tensions escalated on the third night of demonstrations following the death of Floyd, a black man who died in police custody after a white officer pinned him to the ground under his knee.

"It became obvious to me that safety was at risk," Frey said, pledging that police would continue to serve residents in the precinct and that the building was "just bricks and mortar."

"The decision comes down to public safety, period," he said.

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The Minneapolis Police Department said in a statement that the precinct was evacuated shortly after 10 p.m. "in the interest of the safety of our personnel." The MPD confirmed that protesters "ignited several fires," but didn't offer additional information.

Protesters celebrated — cheering, honking car horns and setting off fireworks — as fires burned at the precinct.

Hundreds of protesters flooded Minneapolis streets earlier Thursday for a march through downtown. Traffic was halted as a crowd of people stretched for up to four blocks. Protesters shouted “I can’t breathe” and “no justice, no peace; prosecute the police” as volunteer marshals in highlighter-colored vests directed traffic.

"The people of Minneapolis are not just protesting the public execution of George Floyd; they're fighting for their lives. Mr. Floyd's death — in addition to the recent deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor — is yet another reminder of American law enforcement's toxic tradition of abuse, negligence, violence, and discrimination toward black people," Scott Roberts, senior director of criminal justice campaigns at Color Of Change, said in a statement.

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"The protests in Minneapolis are efforts by black and brown activists to rise up against centuries-old racism within the police department and prosecutors office and resist the white supremacy that has claimed far too many black lives."

The demonstration began after a round of speeches that started at 5 p.m. at the Hennepin County Government Center. Mel Reeves, a longtime activist in the city, encouraged the crowd to be peaceful.

He said officials use damaging or violent protests to distract from the true issue of police brutality.

“They wanna use us to keep us from getting justice ... they act like animals, then wanna make us look like animals,” Reeves told the crowd before directing them down South Third Avenue.

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Unrest in the area continued, too. Frey issued a declaration of a local emergency following "civil disturbance" in the wake of Floyd's death. Gov. Tim Walz tweeted a call to "rebuild."

"George Floyd’s death should lead to justice and systemic change, not more death and destruction," Walz said.

Meeting with reporters early Friday, Frey pleaded for residents' help: "We need to make sure that people are looking out for our city right now."

Just after 6 p.m., a crowd of at least 300 people gathered at the intersection of Lake Street and Minnehaha Avenue. As smoke from several burned-out buildings filled the air, protesters chanted and demanded justice.

“We can’t breathe,” they yelled. “We can’t breathe.”

While the core of the protest focused on police brutality and institutional racism, it also took on, at times, the air of a carnival, with young men and women riding bikes into the area to watch.

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A young woman casually spray-painted “(expletive) the police” on a metal sign while across the street a man tried to tip over a port-a-potty.

Protests continued elsewhere, too. In some cases, so did the chaos.

Police in New York City clashed with protesters on Thursday night. NYPD Lt. John Grimpel told USA TODAY that there had been "numerous" arrests in Lower Manhattan. He said an officer was hit in the head with a garbage can, another was punched in the face and others had been spit on.

Meanwhile, Colorado state Rep. Leslie Herod said someone "shot into the rally" taking place at the State Capitol in Denver. A local reporter confirmed shots were fired, but the Denver Police Department said there were no reports of injuries.

Later Thursday night in Denver, a video on Twitter showed a person in a car allegedly trying to run over a protester.

"You can be angry. You can be outraged. I certainly am and I join you in those feelings and demands of #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd," Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said on Twitter. "March for justice and to see it served, but please march in peace. Responding to violence with violence will only lead to more violence."

Dozens of protesters — many wearing face masks — gathered in Chicago’s South Side Englewood neighborhood on Thursday afternoon. Videos shared to social media showed protesters holding signs that read “Black Lives Matter” and chanting “no justice no peace, no racist police.”

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There were two groups of protesters, and one person was arrested for disorderly conduct, the city’s superintendent, David Brown, said during an evening press conference. The demonstration “otherwise ended peacefully,” he said.

Reports of protests in Phoenix and Louisville, Kentucky, on Thursday night indicated large crowds of protesters. The protests started with minimal violence, however, like in other areas across the nation, things escalated.

Jessie Halladay, a spokeswoman for the Louisville Metro Police Department, confirmed to the Louisville Courier-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, that shots were fired around 11:30 p.m. At least seven people were shot and at least one of the victims was in critical condition, police confirmed.

The protest in Louisville followed the death of Taylor, who was shot by police after officers executed a "no-knock" search warrant and exchanged gunfire with Taylor's boyfriend, who said he did not hear officers announce themselves before firing a single shot. Taylor was shot at least eight times.

Contributing: Steve Kiggins, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: George Floyd: Protesters enter 3rd police precinct in Minneapolis