Good morning, folks. I'll be heading back out today to cover another day of the #MinneapolisUprising - The governor has fully activated the National Guard ahead of today, but given the tenor of last night's activity, it might not matter to folks. https://twitter.com/byron_tollefson/status/1266735265428750336?s=19

I drove across wide swaths of the city last night, and everywhere there were pockets of unrest - expropriation of goods from stores, fires set in buildings, and clashes with police.

The buildings set on fire around the 5th precinct (at the time I was there) were the Wells Fargo Bank, a Staffing Agency, and excavator near a strip mall, as well as a gas station and multiple dumpsters.

The fires in that area, again, were set with intention. Barring some exceptions, chosen targets seemed to be banks, corporate chains, or other businesses known for profiting off exploitation.

As I head out today I'll be sure to check other areas as well.

So much of the graffiti around the city is infused with class consciousness - "class war, not race war" / "fuck capitalism," etc., as well as a wide variety of slogans in remembrance of #GeorgeFloyd

I talked to multiple folks last night who felt that this uprising was a turning point in the usual course of things.

Not satisfied with the handling of Chauvin's indictment and coming out of nearly 3 months of economic depression due to COVID-19, the desparate need for change far exceeded the urge to stay civil.

**desperate

These folks are young, conscious of the incredible hurt in their community, and tired of letting the police and the system at large keep a *knee to their necks* - they are tired of getting killed, tired of starving, tired of losing opportunity.

Many of the rebels take courage from the fact that they have inspired riots across the country - that their response to the murder of #GeorgeFloyd has given folks in other cities the courage to do the same.

A few expressed even absolute elation at the news of DC riots breaking White House barricades.

According to one rebel who spoke with us, "I knew [the revolution] would happen eventually, but I never thought it would start in Minneapolis!"

Whether that is actually the case remains to be seen, but the folks on the ground here believe it might be. And they are acting accordingly - with some shocking success

This crowd seemed to take the contigent of National Guard and Police by complete surprise when they retook Lake Street near the 3rd precinct. They walked steadily forward, hands up, through tear gas and a hail of rubber bullets, pushing the cops off the block

Notable tactics they've learned to use is the efficient method for dousing tear gas under a traffic cone first popularized during the uprising in Hong Kong last year.

It looked as though they had formed teams of three or four whose sole focus was to either douse or kick away gas

The crowd, upon hearing the police call for masks on, immediately began moving vulnerable folks away and out of the path of gas, helping others prepare masks, passing out goggles.

It happened organically, with extreme efficiency, and it felt like it gave folks courage to move.

Later at the 5th precinct, as the National Guard moved down the street (truly a terrifying sight), an older gentleman who had been walking with the crowd stepped off the curb as folks began to run saying, "Stand your ground!"

Today, the governor is wanting to call up anywhere from 2,400 to 13,000 soldiers - an occupying force - to Minneapolis to try and stop these riots. Demonstrations will likely continue.