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Minneapolis Mayor Brings in National Guard Again After Protests

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With Minneapolis yet again, facing the threat of violence from racial justice protesters, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey requested support from the National Guard.

On Wednesday, he got it, as the Minnesota National Guard activated roughly 100 soldiers to respond to the looming threat of civil unrest as protests and other more violent demonstrations continue following the police shooting of Winston Boogie Smith Jr.

“As you are aware, our respective offices and law enforcement agencies have been monitoring and are in close communication about the ongoing peaceful protests and potential civil unrest around the recent officer involved shooting of Winston Smith in Minneapolis,” Mayor Frey wrote in a letter addressed to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Wednesday.

“Thank you for your preparation of a limited number of National Guard soldiers.”

“It is my request that the State make Minnesota National Guard assets available to assist in ensuring calm and order throughout the city, without immediately being deployed. The City of Minneapolis understands that preparedness is essential.”

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Smith, 32, was shot and killed on June 3 after an exchange of gunfire with a police fugitive task force.

According to The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Smith fired his gun at the officers as they were attempting to apprehend him over a warrant.

It was only then, according to the Bureau, that officers returned fire.

The exchange ended with Smith dead and his 27-year-old female passenger in need of hospitalization due to injuries sustained during the exchange.

Not all of the protests over Smith’s death have been “peaceful” as Frey claimed in his letter to Gov. Walz.

WARNING: The following video contains vulgar language that some viewers may find offensive.

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Another catalyst for the current Minneapolis protests and riots is the killing of 31-year-old Deona Marie Knajdek on Sunday, as reported by Fox News.

After Knajdek and a group of protesters decided to block of the intersection of West Lake Street and Girard Avenue, 35-year-old Nicholas D. Kraus decided to ram his SUV into the blockade.

Kraus has since been charged with second-degree unpremeditated murder by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office on Wednesday.

Although Kraus’ motives are yet to be determined, protests and riots are likely to follow regardless.

After all, many of the most high-profile minority killings over the past year were the result of a wide variety of motivations on the part of the shooter.

Nevertheless, so long as the victim is a minority and the perpetrator is either white or a member of law enforcement, racial justice protesters tend to view each case as equivalent.

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Michael wrote for a number of entertainment news outlets before joining The Western Journal in 2020 as a staff reporter. He now manages the writing and reporting teams, overseeing the production of commentary, news and original reporting content.
Michael Austin graduated from Iowa State University in 2019. During his time in college, Michael volunteered as a social media influencer for both PragerU and Live Action. After graduation, he went on to work as a freelance journalist for various entertainment news sites before joining The Western Journal in 2020 as a staff reporter.

Since then, Michael has been promoted to the role of Manager of Writing and Reporting. His responsibilities now include managing and directing the production of commentary, news and original reporting content.
Birthplace
Ames, Iowa
Nationality
American
Education
Iowa State University
Topics of Expertise
Culture, Faith, Politics, Education, Entertainment




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