Minnesota Gov Requests Emergency Declaration as Riot Damage Exceeds $500 Million
Minnesota is seeking millions of dollars from the federal government to clean up after the riots that erupted in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody May 25.
On Thursday, Gov. Tim Walz announced he was seeking Federal Emergency Management Agency cash, noting that the rioting left a trail of more than $500 million in destruction.
“We’re asking our federal partners to step up and help our communities recover,” he said in a news release. “We need to come together to ensure Minnesotans who were victims of this destruction have access to critical infrastructure they need so they can go to the grocery store, pick up their medication, and live their lives. Together, we will rebuild.”
The release said that during the rioting and destruction that raged in Minneapolis and surrounding communities, the state called on more than 10,000 law enforcement personnel to try to restore order and the Minnesota National Guard was fully mobilized for the first time since World War II.
“Nearly 1,500 Twin Cities businesses were damaged by vandalism, fire, or looting,” the release said, referring to Minneapolis, the epicenter of the rioting, and nearby St. Paul.
Walz, a member of the state’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, wants President Donald Trump to “declare a major disaster for the State of Minnesota because of extensive fire damage to public infrastructure caused by civil unrest.”
He had bemoaned the level of destruction even as the riots, which began on May 26, were taking place.
“Over the last 72 hours these people have brought more destruction and more terror to Minnesota than anybody in our history. That’s who we’re up against,” Walz said May 30, according to KARE-TV.
However, at the time, rioters had the sympathy of others in his party.
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