ACLU Urges National Guard, Police In Minneapolis To Comply With Law - Statement

ACLU Urges National Guard, Police in Minneapolis to Comply With Law - Statement

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is urging the National Guard and the law enforcement in Minnesota to obey the law and not the orders of President Donald Trump, ACLU's Trone Center for Justice and Equality Director Jeffrey Robinson said in a press release on Friday

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th May, 2020) The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is urging the National Guard and the law enforcement in Minnesota to obey the law and not the orders of President Donald Trump, ACLU's Trone Center for Justice and Equality Director Jeffrey Robinson said in a press release on Friday.

Robinson's comment comes after Trump warned on Friday morning that the authorities may open fire if looting and destruction of property in Minneapolis continues. Riots in Minneapolis have started after protests over the death of George Floyd, an African-American man who died in police custody earlier in the week.

"President Trump's statement that 'when the looting starts, the shooting starts' is hypocritical, immoral and illegal," Robinson said. "While President Trump has recently claimed to be concerned about honoring the memory of Mr. Floyd, his actions consistently demonstrate a gross disregard for the racial terror and police violence that communities of color across the country experience on a regular basis. We call on the National Guard and law enforcement in Minneapolis to comply with the law and not President Trump."

Robinson said the protests are a direct response to the systemic violence that police perpetrate in black communities across the United States.

"Thoughts and prayers are not enough. The police violence and murder in the black community in America must stop immediately," he said.

Robinson also said prosecutors in Minnesota must hold the arresting officers involved in Floyd's case responsible for his death.

"Holding these officers accountable is the bare minimum needed to show that our legal system recognizes that Black lives actually matter," he said. "The next step must be bold changes that address the racism at the root of our policing institutions."

On Thursday evening, rioters in Minneapolis set on fire the police precinct where the four arresting officers worked as well as numerous buildings and businesses.

The protests, and then riots, started after a video posted online showed how a police officer pinned Floyd's neck for nearly eight minutes while he lied on the street handcuffed with his hands behind his back. Floyd could be heard telling the officers he could not breathe.

The Minnesota National Guard announced on Friday morning that more than 500 troops have been activated to respond to the riots.