There's gonna be riotin', by George!

Won't even say "And so it begins." [But you just did. Ed.] As surely as day follows night, rioting and looting follow any death of an African-American at the hands of a white American cop. As it did in Minneapolis yesterday, following the death of George Floyd, a black man who claimed he was having trouble breathing because a law enforcement officer was kneeling on his neck.

A bystander's video of the incident on the city's south side captured the man, who was handcuffed at the time, the officers "Please, I can't breathe!" as he is pinned to the ground. The cops involved in the incident have not been identified, but Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (Democrat) announced Tuesday afternoon that they had been "terminated". He didn't mean it in the sense that Mr Floyd was terminated, but rather that they were "no longer with the police department"... fired, ya know.

Enter Black Lives Matter, who hadn't been heard from in a while in spite of the violent deaths of 1000s of young black men across the USA and Canada, possibly because most of those deaths were at the hands of other YBM. Anyhoo, the usual "peaceful protests" broke out "spontaneously" yesterday, and quickly turned into a night of rioting and looting at a Target store and other businesses in the Lake St/Hiawatha Ave area. Fires sprang up as well, engulfing a mostly black housing complex nearby.

The reaction of local politicians has been as predictable as the rioting and looting. In a Tweet late last night, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (Democrat) said, "The situation near Lake Street and Hiawatha in Minneapolis has evolved into an extremely dangerous situation." Duh!
Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) weighted in with "I'm praying for peace and healing tonight in Minneapolis, as I hear sirens and explosions across our green city. Our community is in so much pain. Dr King said, 'I can only close the gap in broken community by meeting hate with love.'"

Back to Mr Walz. The Gov added, "Our state watched George Floyd's humanity get erased. Our feelings of anger, anguish, and disillusionment are justified." He didn't actually identify the person(s) who might be the targets of the feelings of anger etc. He did go on the plead with othger unidentified persons, "If you plan to turn your pain into action by joining a public demonstration, please do so peacefully and safely to protect your own health and the health of the people around you." And remember to practise social distancing and wash your hands!

Finally, we go to state senators Jeff Hayden (D) and Patricia Torres Ray (D), who today issued a joint statement, as follows:
"We, along with our constituents, are deeply heartbroken and outraged by the injustice that occurred in the officer-involved death of George Floyd. As our community continues to grieve and grapple with this incredibly unjustifiable loss of life, we believe in their right to peacefully protest. We have grown increasingly concerned, for the safety of the City of Minneapolis and its residents, as the demonstration has escalated. More than ever, our community must come together during this hard time and in this work to fiercely advocate for the justice that is needed. We are eager to effectively partner with community organizers, leaders, activists, and advocates to prevent the loss of another life due to excessive use of force."

The "Reverend" Al Sharpton [Is he still alive? Ed.] is expected to jet into the Twin Cities today to add his voice of reason to the clamour. And the official anti-Trump line (for it's all his fault, you know) will be pronounced by Joy Behar and Whoopi Cushion on the View just before the noon news. Consult your local TV listings, as other viewing choices may be available.

Footnote: Walt's non-resident expert on American politics points out that the politicians named above (other than Tina Smith) are not actually Democrats, but members of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, a political formation peculiar to Minnesota which is somehow different from the national Democratic Party, although you may need a microscope to see the difference.