Fiery protests erupt in Minneapolis for third night after man was killed in police shooting: 'Time for the police to get killed'
For the third straight night, protests erupted in Minneapolis as demonstrators reacted to the shooting death of a man by law enforcement that happened on Thursday afternoon.
Members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force attempted to arrest Winston Boogie Smith, who was wanted on a state arrest warrant for being a felon in possession of a firearm. When law enforcement tried to take Smith into custody on the top level of a parking ramp in the Uptown neighborhood, he allegedly "produced a handgun" and fired shots from inside his vehicle at the officers, according to officials. U.S. Marshals returned fire and struck Smith, 32, who was pronounced dead at the scene. A 27-year-old female passenger in the vehicle was transported to the Hennepin County Medical Center for treatment of glass injuries sustained during the shooting and released.
"Evidence at the scene indicates that the man fired his weapon from inside the vehicle. BCA crime scene personnel recovered a handgun as well as spent cartridge cases from inside the driver's compartment," the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said in a statement.
There is no footage of the fatal shooting because the U.S Marshal Service does not allow the use of body cameras for officers serving on its North Star Fugitive Task Force.
Smith was wanted in neighboring Ramsey County for failing to appear for a sentencing hearing scheduled for May 19 after he pleaded guilty to felony firearm possession, court records show.
Smith was convicted of felony aggravated robbery in 2017 and was on probation, which meant he was prohibited from possessing a firearm. "If he had been nabbed with a firearm by cops Thursday, he could have sent back to prison," according to the New York Post.
Following George Floyd's death, Smith allegedly made life-threatening posts towards police and called for a "war" against law enforcement.
"We got guns and bullet proof vest too or should be able to get em… why not just rush these f***s and start this war they keep asking for!" Smith reportedly wrote on Facebook.
"F*** justice anyway b**** justice is an eye for eye u kill one of mine we need one of yours that's justice! Right or wrong f*** being right cuz they keep doing us wrong," he allegedly posted on social media. "I'm down with the burn everything government not touch s*** else I don't even need to loot I'll buy my s*** just kill them dirty ass cops off we tired of being scared at the red light!"
Protesters took to the streets on Thursday night to demand "justice" in the shooting death of Winston Boogie Smith. Protesters barricaded streets and set fires. The demonstrations escalated at times on Thursday night with storefront glass being destroyed, and there was looting at a T-Mobile store and CVS pharmacy.
Tonight protesters in Uptown have barricaded off Lake Street and Girard Ave and have started a fire after a homicid… https://t.co/haTJ3sdyLn
— Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) 1622778653.0
Uptown Target. https://t.co/hspToVQ7wX
— 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 (@TCReporter) 1622792557.0
The BLM protest in Minneapolis devolved into looting overnight. A large group smashed their way into the @TMobile s… https://t.co/a5jc9qTcxu
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) 1622799194.0
CVS off Lake Street was broken into and looted. Currently someone has arrived to board up the shattered windows.P… https://t.co/3UwzVXutnN
— Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) 1622786891.0
A protester celebrated the attack on a Minneapolis police precinct from last summer, "When your precinct burned, America rejoiced. People celebrated seeing your comrades run for their lives!"
“When your precinct burned, America rejoiced! People celebrated seeing your comrades run for their lives!” Filmed j… https://t.co/33n49eNUhG
— 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 (@TCReporter) 1622801392.0
There was graffiti on an L.A. Fitness gym that reads: "No trial for us, no trial for them. MPLS still hates cops. Kill cops."
One video features a demonstrator making death threats to police officers.
"It's time for the police to get killed," a man is heard screaming. "One of y'all is gonna die this week."
"I'mma shoot your kids before I shoot y'all, and make you watch," the man yelled at the police. "Y'all better call the National Guard because guess what – y'all gonna need help."
Then fireworks are launched at the police guarding a gas station.
(CAUTION: Explicit language):
There were more protests on Friday night, when there were at least 27 people were arrested, mostly on riot charges, according to police. Agitators set multiple dumpsters on fire in Minneapolis.
Thick smoke in the air as dumpsters burned at Hennepin & Lake Street in Minneapolis this Friday night https://t.co/Z9LdrV6mLZ
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) 1622874096.0
On Saturday night, protesters marched through the city chanting anti-police slogans, "I smell b****es! Oink! Oink! Motherf*****!"
The crowd, some of which were flying "Black Lives Matter" flags, were heard chanting, "No good cops in a racist system!" Other chants ring through the streets of Minneapolis, "If Winston don't get it – burn it down! Who shut this down? We shut this down! Who keeps us safe? We keep us safe!"
“Oink! Oink! Mother f*cker!” #Uptown #WinstonBoogieSmith #WinstonSmith #Minneapolis https://t.co/jARxY4hRQ3
— 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 (@TCReporter) 1622955345.0
Larger crowd than last night, and this one is being led by CAIR. These events tend to turn into altercations. Tonig… https://t.co/dEEHqdLKWw
— Sophia (HaRMful SaTiRe) Narwitz (@SophNar0747) 1622950913.0
There was also anti-cop graffiti posted on the street, which depicted police as pigs. Anti-police rhetoric such as "ACAB(All Cops Are Bastards," F*** 12," "Cops = Terrorists," and "This will continue until the police are abolished." There was a tribute to Winston Smith and "Black Lives Matter" also written on the street.
Lake & Girard. #Uptown #WinstonBoogieSmith #WinstonSmith #Minneapolis 2/2 https://t.co/Rt3hHYSzsT
— 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 (@TCReporter) 1622959980.0
Third night of protests in Minneapolis' Uptown following shooting by deputies www.youtube.com
VIDEO: Activists and cops clash in NYC; Central Park statues vandalized with anti-police graffiti
Social justice demonstrations in New York City deteriorated into physical altercations with NYPD officers and a Central Park statue dedicated to American sailors who lost their lives was desecrated with anti-police graffiti.
Hundreds of activists and protesters marched Thursday night in New York City, with some carrying signs that read "Justice for Ma'Khia Bryant," others waving Black Lives Matter flags, and some were part of a black trans lives matter demonstration, according to the Daily Mail.
"The crowd was part of the Stonewall Protests, which gathers weekly outside the iconic Greenwich Village bar," the New York Post reported. "The group describes itself as "black queer and black trans activists centered on the acknowledgment of all black life" on Instagram."
#HappeningNow Activists March down midtown Manhattan Filmed and owned by leeroy #manhattan #blm #georgefloyd https://t.co/O7TW9jpSWo— Leeroy Johnson (@Leeroy Johnson)1619141882.0
At one point, there were tense confrontations between dozens of protesters and police officers. Video from independent photojournalist Leeroy Johnson shows cops getting doused with an unidentified liquid, and there were sounds of a person spitting during the dust-up. One individual screams at the cops, "What the f*** is wrong with you?"
Content warning: rough language
Chaos Erupts at protest in NYC. Multiple arrests were made Filmed and owned by leeroy Johnson #NewYork #BLM… https://t.co/BxHOlngcd3— Leeroy Johnson (@Leeroy Johnson)1619150328.0
Protesters converged near Central Park, where they appear to wave flags for the counties of Nigeria and Jamaica, as well as Black Lives Matter, and one that represents the transgender community. Vandals defaced the USS Maine Monument with red paint made to look like blood and anti-police terms such as "ACAB (All Cops Are Bastards)" and "F*** 12," which is an anti-law enforcement slogan often used by Antifa members.
The USS Maine Monument honors the 266 American sailors of the USS Maine, a U.S. battleship that sank in Havana, Cuba, in 1898.
"We respect's everyone right to peacefully protest, but vandalism is not part of peaceful protest," the New York Police Department wrote on Twitter. "We are working to de-escalate the situation to prevent further damage from occurring."
Six people were arrested by the NYPD on charges ranging from assault to damage to public property, WABC-TV reported. No injuries to demonstrators or police, a police spokesman told Fox News.
We respect's everyone right to peacefully protest, but vandalism is not part of peaceful protest. We are working to… https://t.co/ETTBFnV9uK— NYPD NEWS (@NYPD NEWS)1619146919.0
Activists marched through midtown Manhattan, including in front of the New York Times headquarters, where they chanted, "F*** the New York Times!"
NFL icon Mike Ditka says players who kneel should respect the country or 'get the hell out!'
Legendary former NFL coach Mike Ditka criticized the current pro football players who kneeled to protest during the national anthem and said that he couldn't understand why anyone would protest.
Ditka, a former Chicago Bears player-coach and Hall of Famer, made the comments during an interview with Newsmax TV.
"Football's football. It's not a complicated thing. You're playing the game, you're enjoying the game," Ditka said.
"You don't like the game, get out of it. It's not for protesting one way or the other. What color you are, what you think, this or that. You play football. That's it," he continued.
"You're privileged. You got a gift from God that you can play the game because you got a body you can do it with," Ditka said. "I don't really understand what you're protesting. I played the game. I coached the game for a long time. It makes no sense to me."
Ditka, 80, went on to say that players were disrespecting the United States with the protest and that they should leave the country instead of criticizing it.
"I would tell those players go to another country and play football there. You don't have to come out," Ditka said. "You don't have to come out if you go to another country. You can't! Because the game's only played in this country. And if you can't respect this country, get the hell out of it."
'There has been no oppression'
Ditka has previously made similar comments about those players who joined the kneeling protests. In a particularly controversial incident in 2017, he was criticized heavily for saying he didn't think there had been any oppression in the last 100 years.
"All of a sudden, it has become a big deal now — about oppression," Ditka said at the time. "There has been no oppression in the last hundred years that I know of. Now maybe I'm not watching it as carefully as other people."
He later clarified his comments and claimed that the media was intentionally misleading the public about what he said he meant.
"The characterization of the statement that I made does not reflect the context of the question that I was answering and certainly does not reflect my views throughout my lifetime," said Ditka. "I have absolutely seen oppression in society in the last 100 years and I am completely intolerant of any discrimination. The interview was about the NFL and the related issues. That's where my head was at."
Here's the video of Ditka's more recent comments:
Mike Ditka: Get the hell outwww.youtube.com
London's Khan Told Black Lives Matter Rioters Targeted Black Police Officers
www.theblaze.com