George Floyd death: Minneapolis mayor calls for national guard to control protests

Minneapolis has called for help from the National Guard following riots over the death of George Floyd.

Mayor Jacob Frey confirmed during a press conference today that the National Guard has been requested.

"Yes I have made that phone call to the governor and it has been requested. The governor and the state have been very helpful," Mr Frey said.

"We are going to be conducting some strategising sessions over the coming days. Obviously one of the difficulties we have is facing a $165m to $200m revenue shortfall and then expenses that are resourced towards Covid-19. The monies that we have available are presently somewhat limited but this sort of calls the question of how much we do need assistance from the federal and state government now."

Minneapolis Police Chief Madaria Arradondo said that the "tenor" of protests changed on Wednesday night after a number of protestors not known to the local community took part in the destruction of property.

"Yes there were certainly people who were involved in the activities last night that were certainly not recognised as being here from the city," Mr Arrandondo said.

When asked how the protests got out of control, Mr Arrandondo said as the crowds got larger they became more mobile across the city.

"There was a core group of people that had really been focused on causing some destruction, certainly we saw that with some of the looting and setting fires," he said.

Mr Frey said he had authorised a unified command structure to allow Minneapolis Police Department to use resources and personnel from other jurisdictions.

"In the coming days we will have an all-out effort to restore peace and security in our city," he Frey said.

"This work is about protecting infrastructure needed to get through this pandemic together."

Singing Amazing Grace, city council vice president Andrea Jenkins said the community had the right to be upset and a "healing space" would be created for people to grieve.

"You have no right to perpetrate violence and harm on the very communities that you say that you are standing up for. We need peace and calm in our streets and I am begging you for that calm," Ms Jenkins said.

"We cannot allow outsiders, or our own Minneapolitan residents, to destroy our city, so we want to work together to ensure that people have their voices heard in a safe manner."

Minneapolis Fire Chief John Fruetel said they had 16 structural fires during the riots, plus additional non-structural fires.

Grocery stores and pharmacies were among dozens of local businesses damaged, looted or completely destroyed as the riots raged from late Wednesday into early Thursday morning.

Minor injuries were confirmed to some police and community members, although nothing considered significant according to Mr Arrandondo.

"Even prior to Mr Floyd's death, we have had a community that has been in trauma for quite some time and what I cannot allow as Chief is for others to compound that trauma," Mr Arrandondo said.

"If they are setting buildings and structures on fire that are harming the safety of our elderly and youth, I cannot allow that as Chief. I cannot allow criminal acts to occur and threaten the safety and compound the trauma that already exists."