Tim Waltz criticized for response to George Floyd protests: What you need to know

In May 2020, just one year into Tim Walz’s first term as Minnesota governor, a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd, setting off a summer of global protests against police violence and racial inequality that has been unprecedented in a generation.

Four years later, Waltz’s handling of the demonstrations, including massive riots in Minnesota’s largest city, has come under new scrutiny after Vice President Kamala Harris appointed him governor. Become her running mate Tuesday.

At least two people were killed in Minnesota’s Twin Cities violence. 600 people arrested It occurred at the beginning of the riots, and the entire process from the riots to the response of law enforcement agencies made it the most A period of costly and destructive civil unrest Minneapolis and St. Paul suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in damage during the riots, the first in U.S. history, and hundreds of buildings were severely damaged.

Conservatives accuse Waltz of allow Rioters are “burning Minneapolis down,” and there has been hesitation over deploying the National Guard to quell the violence.

Waltz was not the lead official in charge of responding to the unrest — that was a task for local officials, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. But when local officials were unable to handle the unrest, the task was ultimately handed to him. Both Waltz and Frey’s administrations have blamed each other and offered their own versions of what happened in the unrest, but the full picture remains unknown.

The main criticism of Walz’s response to the late spring unrest has been the time it took him to deploy the Minnesota National Guard and coordinate with other state and local officials to restore order.

Floyd was killed on May 25, and large protests broke out the next day, marked by some vandalism and police violence. By the evening of May 27, the largely peaceful protests had turned violent, with looting and arson across the city. Mayor Frei Allegedly contacted That night, Walz asked the Minnesota National Guard for help. The city’s police chief then sent a letter to Walz’s office. Written request of 600 soldiersand some other logistical notes.

Walz and his office did not sign an executive order authorizing the National Guard deployment. Until the next afternoonOn May 28, much of the city was already shut down, businesses were closed and boarded up to prevent looting, and buildings were smoldering after nighttime fires. That night saw some of the worst rioting, violence and arson, as well as an indelible moment from the protests: the breaching and burning of the Minneapolis police station. Third Precinct Police StationHundreds of National Guard troops and Minnesota State Patrol troopers were deployed to Minneapolis. He is accused protecting federal buildings and downtown areas and escorting first responders rather than immediately heading to hot spots.

Walz later said the city had not yet designated where the troops should go — and state and local officials later reflect There were problems with communication, coordination and understanding of the time it would take for National Guard units to be ready.

The next morning, after the National Guard and State Patrol had taken control of the area around the station, another memorable event occurred: CNN reporter Omar Jimenez and his team While reporting live near the police station.

At a May 29 news conference, Walz took responsibility for the State Patrol’s mishandling of the news crew, saying, “This should never have happened. We made the call immediately. … I failed you last night.”

The news conference was also the first time Walz acknowledged that local officials’ response had been a “total failure,” and that he would now lead the response. He said he had spoken with President Donald Trump and said his tweet The “shooting” began after the robbery He called it “unhelpful.” He deployed more National Guard troops and imposed a curfew. Yet, more violence and vandalism occurred.

The next day, Saturday, May 30, Waltz would fully mobilize the National Guard, meet with Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, and acknowledge that the situation had worsened due to “outside agitators” entering the area. It would not be until June 7 that the protests and riots in the Twin Cities would fully subside.

Throughout the protests, local and state officials have sparred over a lack of communication and misunderstandings about the severity of the situation. Mayor Frey went on to say that Waltz Hesitated Steps in and takes leadership after Frey asks for help.

“I told the truth under extremely difficult circumstances,” said Frey. told the Star Tribune A few months later. “I did everything I could to get the message across to our state partners. We did what was asked to be done for the good of our city.”

Star Tribune Investigation found that Frey and his city government had been trying to give Walz and the state Department of Public Safety “the push they say they need” to deploy the National Guard to Minneapolis’ Third Precinct, where the rioting was centered.

The Star Tribune reviewed time-stamped email and text message logs. A large collection of letters was found confirming the sequence of events given by city officials: They repeatedly asked the state for help and provided specific details, but did not receive a timely response. “He didn’t say yes,” Frey said of Walz. “He said he would think about it.”

The governor’s office, meanwhile, disputed many of the mayor’s claims. Contrary to documents reviewed by the Star Tribune, Walz’s team argued that Frey did not immediately make a formal request or specify where the National Guard’s focus should be. The governor’s office also argued that Walz acted quickly after receiving the request.

“As a 24-year veteran of the Minnesota National Guard, Governor Walz knows how much planning goes into a successful mission,” a spokesperson for Walz told the Star Tribune in 2020. “That’s why he pushed the city of Minneapolis to provide details and strategy. He ordered the Minnesota National Guard to begin preparations Thursday morning so they can deploy to St. Paul and Minneapolis that evening, as the mayor requested.”

By that time in the riots, state Republicans such as then-state Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka also criticized Walz’s response. explain It was a “failure of leadership” because the “governor did not take the right actions”.

Since Walz made the announcement, Republicans have attacked him for his “weak, failed, dangerous liberalism,” with a particular focus on his response to the Floyd protests and their aftermath.

Some conservatives have also claimed Walz is “soft on crime” in light of the racial reckoning sparked by Floyd’s murder, including the rise of the “defund the police” slogan and movement. support police reform The state has banned chokeholds, provided new mental health resources for police and first responders, and required excessive force training. Obfuscation His response to Floyd’s murder, which he compared to “Systemic issues“With the police and”Institutional racism”, Waltz excuses the violence.

Before being picked as Harris’ potential vice president, Waltz didn’t face many questions about his response to the 2020 riots. But now he may face more scrutiny. New York Times On Tuesday, a spokesman for Walz acknowledged the riots were “a tragic moment” but said Walz “took action” to keep the city safe.

“The decision was made under the circumstances,” Walz said of the riot. Press Conference earlier this month. “I just believe we did the best we could.”