After days of protesting and riots, protesters have gained access to the 3rd Precinct, redistributing police equipment and setting fires.
Protesters of all ages and races have spent hours chanting and calling for the arrests of Minneapolis police officers Derek Chauvin, Officer Tou Thao, Officer Thomas Lane, and Officer J. Alexander to be arrested over the murder of George Floyd.
But they have been met with tear gas, rubber bullets and mace over the course of the last three days.
On Thursday night, the protesters decided to take it one step further and took over the 3rd Precinct police building which is where the officers in question work.
A non-profit independent news organization called Unicorn Riot was the first to report on the breach by providing around the clock live streaming of the protest, even going inside the precinct where bullets began firing, apparently due to the fires that had been started.
Inside the precinct, protesters were recorded taking police equipment, setting fires, breaking windows and chanting Floyd’s name along with the phrases, “burn it down”, “lock them up”, and Floyd’s infamous last words “I can’t breathe.”
Unicorn Riot reporter Niko Georgiades said police evacuated the building and moved away from the building to protect downtown Minneapolis.
One of the protesters interviewed by Unicorn Riot was a former law enforcement officer. The protester did not give him name but said nothing has changed since the Rodney King beating. The former law enforcement said he also protested against the creation of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
President Donald Trump took to Twitter and called the protesters “thugs” and threatened to send the military after them.
Also taking to Twitter was the Minnesota National Guard, who tweeted an hour after the precinct had been taking over, saying they are with the Minneapolis Fire Department ready to assist and have activated 500 members.
Both Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter requested for National Guard assistance, according to Fox9.
The National Guard arrived in the streets an hour after they took to Twitter
Watch the shortened, edited video below from when they enter the police precinct. Below that is the entire 5-hour live stream below which is set to begin moments before they enter the precinct. Georgiades, the Unicorn Riot reporter, interviews several protesters as to why they are protesting.