We’ve seen the narrative about the George Floyd riots in Minneapolis and other cities around the country form quickly Saturday: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz couldn’t confirm, but suspected it was white supremacists causing destruction in the city, and possibly drug cartels trying to take advantage of the chaos. MSNBC’s Joy Reid reported the violence is “already confirmed as coming from white nationalist groups,” and Reza Aslan claimed it was Trump supporters doing the burning and looting.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey listed a whole rogues gallery of rioters, including out-of-state instigators and possibly even foreign actors.
We are now confronting white supremacists, members of organized crime, out of state instigators, and possibly even foreign actors to destroy and destabilize our city and our region.
— Mayor Jacob Frey (@MayorFrey) May 30, 2020
Fox 9 in Minneapolis took a look at arrest records and found that the overwhelming majority of those jailed in connection with looting and rioting were from Minnesota, though.
Jail records show most arrested in Minneapolis riots are Minnesotans https://t.co/P75dypbRCS
— FOX 9 (@FOX9) May 30, 2020
Wait what? https://t.co/2eBcAUKBw2
— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) May 30, 2020
Why were we told otherwise this morning?
— WHENESOTA (@WHENESOTA) May 30, 2020
— Jarrod P, MBA (@jarrodpeterson) May 30, 2020
Wow no way!
— plutocrat eater (@MyWifiIsDead) May 30, 2020
— †Δy☀ (@itstay14) May 30, 2020
I'm shocked ?
— Jaylen Brown's Socialist Stepdad (@nuevosean) May 30, 2020
Almost as if narratives that pop up overnight shouldn't be trusted without verification and doing so is incredibly irresponsible/dishonest.
— Devan ? (@azleninade) May 30, 2020
Recommended
Eventually screaming Russia stops working
— Bobby Mack (@BobbayMack) May 30, 2020
I thought it was foreign Nazi organized crime members who are in no way affiliated with Antifa. It's like we're being fed disinformation during a time of crisis
— nasbenu (@nasbenu) May 30, 2020
You mean they lied?
— Johnny Clueless (@lunatickfringe) May 30, 2020
Almost like that narrative that suddenly appeared this morning was planted huh
— Minneapolis Commune ? (@Insert_name27) May 30, 2020
We’d heard it had been confirmed that it was out-of-state white supremacists flooding into the city to burn it down.
* * *
Update:
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter says that every single person arrested in his city last night was from out of state:
St. Paul, MN Mayor Melvin Carter says every person arrested in his city last night was from out of state.
— Jesse Rodriguez (@JesseRodriguez) May 30, 2020
Minnesota AG @keithellison tells @JoyAnnReid that he has evidence and ample reason to believe that outside agitators are coming to Minnesota to cause harm & damage and incite violence
— Jesse Rodriguez (@JesseRodriguez) May 30, 2020
Are these outside agitators affiliated with any groups or organizations, by chance?
* * *
Update:
Hang on; it appears Mayor Carter got some bad information:
BREAKING: Mayor of St. Paul Minnesota says he was wrong this morning when he said “Every single person” arrested last night in St. Paul was from out of town. He blames inaccurate information given to him during a police briefing.
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) May 30, 2020
Related:
‘Twitter, fact check this please’: Reza Aslan claims Trump supporters are doing the ‘burning and looting’ (and people have thoughts) https://t.co/QgNYJYUrAv
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) May 30, 2020
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