Minnesota governor authorizes full mobilization of state's National Guard for first time since World War II

(Image credit: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

last updated 30 May 2020

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) announced Saturday he is authorizing full mobilization of the state's National Guard for the first time since World War II. The action comes on the heels of protests against police brutality in Minneapolis and the surrounding area.

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The protests began peacefully, but tensions increased over the course of the week, and several properties were damaged, which is why Walz felt it was necessary to bring in the Guard. The governor also said there are unconfirmed reports that white supremacist groups and drug cartels have taken advantage of the situation and may have incited violence. In fact, he estimates that 80 percent of the people arrested Friday were from out of state, suggesting that those behind the destruction were separate from the catalysts of the initial protests, though some observers note local officials often blame outsiders for civil unrest. Tim O'Donnell

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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