The country has been wrapped in tension due to protests over the death of George Floyd.
Many of the events would be ruined by vandalism and looting even if it would start off peaceful. Critics were upset with the Black community once the dust settled, but there is evidence to suggest white provocateurs are sabotaging demonstrations.
On Saturday, May 30, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz blamed the chaos in Minneapolis on outsiders. He initially attributed 80 percent of the damage to white supremacists and drug cartels, but he walked that figure back on Sunday.
“Our great cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are under assault by people who do not share our values, who do not value life and the work that went into this and are certainly not here to honor George Floyd,” Walz said during a press conference. “They need to see today that that line will stop and order needs to be restored.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also blamed people who do not live in the city.
“The people that are doing this are not Minneapolis residents,” Frey said. “They are coming largely from outside the city outside the region to prey on everything we have built.”
Officials in Atlanta expressed similar concerns for their city, reported Atlanta INtown news. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms blamed destruction on “anarchists” who wanted to “destroy this city.”
She signed off on a 9 p.m. curfew to prevent any additional issues. Police Chief Erika Shields named a “highly calculated terrorist organization” as the culprit.
“We know the organizers of protests in the city, but we didn’t know these people and the organizers didn’t know them either,” Shields said. “These people weren’t here to fight for civil rights; they were here to destroy Atlanta.”
Social media is rife with images of white provocateurs wreaking havoc.
This Twitter user posted videos showing groups of white men dressed in all black breaking windows, setting fires and breaking into businesses in Oakland, Calif. She noted they were extremely organized.
“The people breaking glass, breaking into windows & starting fires were WHITE men wearing all black. They had hammers and walkie talkies. They were organized. BLM [protesters] did not start the violence! she wrote.
Even though the Department of Homeland Security attributed the violence to both sides of the political aisle, the Trump administration only condemned the “radical left,” according to ABC News.
Trump tweeted he would designate Antifa a terrorist organization even though it is not an actual organization. Antifa is short for anti-fascist.
“It’s the violent antifa radical militants that are coming out under cover of night, traveling across state lines, using military style tactics to burn down our cities,” said national security adviser Robert O’Brien.
