Unrest rages over black man's killing

US President Donald Trump on Friday called protesters in Minneapolis "thugs" and vowed that "when the looting starts, the shooting starts". Trump tweeted his responses after protesters outraged by the death of a black man at the hands of police torched a police station.

On Thursday, Trump said:"I feel very, very badly" about George Floyd's death while handcuffed and held down by Minneapolis police. "That's a very shocking sight."

It was the kind of personal statement expected from a president in response to the disturbing video of a black man gasping for help as a white police officer pinned him to the street by the neck. But it was a very different tone for Trump, who has often been silent in the face of white-on-black violence and has a long history of defending police.

Trump's language got more aggressive as violence boiled over in Minneapolis on Thursday night. "These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won't let that happen," he tweeted.

"Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!"

But later, Twitter hid the tweet and accused Trump of breaking its rules by "glorifying violence".

Trump has been silent on a number of high-profile police-involved killings, including that of Stephon Clark, a black man shot by Sacramento police in 2018.

"This is something that is a local matter and that's something that we feel should be left up to the local authorities," then-White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said at the time.

UN condemnation

On Thursday, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet condemned the killing of Floyd, saying the US authorities must take "serious action" to halt police killings of unarmed African Americans.

As the latest spasm of unrest in the city went largely unchecked, Walz activated the Minnesota National Guard to restore order in Minneapolis after violent protests, riots and looting in the first two days. The order came after Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey requested the National Guard's help to prevent further damage and disorder.

"It is time to rebuild. Rebuild the city, rebuild our justice system, and rebuild the relationship between law enforcement and those they're charged to protect," Walz said in a statement. "George Floyd's death should lead to justice and systemic change, not more death and destruction."

Cheering protesters on Thursday torched the Minneapolis police station that the department was forced to abandon as three days of violent protests spread to nearby St Paul and angry demonstrations flared across the US over Floyd's death.

A police spokesman confirmed late on Thursday that staff had evacuated the 3rd Precinct station, the focus of many of the protests, "in the interest of the safety of our personnel" shortly after 10 pm. Livestream video showed the protesters entering the building, where fire alarms blared and sprinklers ran as blazes were set.

The US Justice Department announced on Thursday that it has made the federal investigation into Floyd's death a "top priority".

May Zhou in Houston, Texas, and agencies contributed to this story.

China Daily