President Donald Trump said Saturday that military police could deploy to Minneapolis to respond to protests in the wake of George Floyd's death this week.
"We have our military ready, willing and able, if they ever want to call our military. We can have troops on the ground very quickly," Trump told reporters as he left the White House to travel to Florida for the SpaceX launch Saturday. "They're using their National Guard right now, as you know."
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Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman said in a statement to CNN Saturday that Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley "have personally spoken with [Minnesota] Governor [Tim] Walz twice in the last 24-hours and expressed the department's readiness to provide support to local and state authorities as requested."
Protests broke out in dozens of American cities Friday night calling for justice in the death of George Floyd Monday.
Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer seen on video standing on Floyd's neck as Floyd gasped for air, was charged with third-degree murder Friday in connection with his death.
Friday's protests began peacefully, but many -- including demonstrations in Minneapolis -- took a turn toward looting and vandalism as the night progressed.
Earlier this week demonstrators burned a police precinct building in Minneapolis.
Trump added that Minnesota government officials, who have already activated the state's National Guard, have "got to be tough" and that protesters need to be "taught" that they "can't do this."
The military is prohibited from acting as domestic law enforcement, but under the Insurrection Act of 1807, state officials have the ability to call for military assistance.
On Saturday afternoon protesters converged near the White House, as law enforcement law officers used batons and tear gas to push back the crowd.
Trump had previously criticized Washington, D.C., mayor Muriel Bowser on Twitter, saying she had not allowed police to get involved in a clash between protesters and the Secret Service Friday night.
Bowser disputed that claim.
By that time governors in Georgia, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Colorado and Ohio had also activated the National Guard in their states.
On Saturday evening at 5:23 p.m. Pacific time, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced activated 200 members of the Washington National Guard Saturday night to respond to protests in Seattle.
Officials in several cities, including Seattle, as well as Los Angeles, Atlanta, Louisville, Denver and Milwaukee, enacted curfews Saturday night as they anticipated protests and potential riots.
Protesters in Georgia convened on Gov. Brian Kemp's mansion and some were arrested on unspecified charges. Kemp was not home at the time.
Six people were arrested in Philadelphia Saturday night in connection with protests, according to Philadelphia police commissioner Danielle Outlaw.
Outlaw said at least 13 police officers were injured and that some civilians were hurt too, but she did not have exact numbers regarding the latter.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
