Protestors in Minneapolis turned to looting and burning businesses, setting an AutoZone and Wendy’s aflame Wednesday night, numerous sources reported.
In the second day of protests following the death of George Floyd, a man who died after a police officer was caught on camera pinning his neck to the ground, protesters were seen stripping a Target bare and loading up carts with products, and setting fires to multiple local businesses including an AutoZone, Wendy’s, a cell phone store, and an affordable housing building that was under construction, Bring Me The News reported.
A Wendy’s restaurant was unidentifiable Thursday morning, reduced to ash as smoke can still be seen billowing at the scene, an MPR News reporter’s photo showed. (RELATED: Minneapolis Police Protesters Seen Looting TVs, Clothes From Target)
Wendy’s is gone. Guy on a bike just yelled “Burn down Wendy’s?! You stupid ass motherfuckers.” pic.twitter.com/UazZD4QnD8
— Jon Collins (@JonSCollins) May 28, 2020
Autozone on Lake Street has caught fire. It was looted earlier in evening @MPRnews pic.twitter.com/L77DlBMmAd
— christine nguyen (@xinewin) May 28, 2020
The multistory apartment building that was set on fire could be seen burning from a 10 mile distance, a local news photojournalist observed.
This was the scene in South Minneapolis about an hour ago. A multi-story apartment building under construction near the corner of Lake & Minnehaha caught fire, early Thursday Morning. The flames were visible from as far away as Bloomington. @KARE11 @MPRnews pic.twitter.com/45cjH5JNvH
— Dave Peterlinz (@DPet_KARE11News) May 28, 2020
MORE: This was taken from the Hiawatha Avenue bridge over Lake Street, shortly before Minneapolis Police cleared the overpass of onlookers. @KARE11 @MPRnews pic.twitter.com/6laRSI5h5K
— Dave Peterlinz (@DPet_KARE11News) May 28, 2020
An MPR News reporter described the scene as “unbelievable devastation.”
“There’s an industrial building across the street from me that’s smoking. There’s affordable housing that was being built that is still on fire … there is a Wendy’s that is completely demolished in the parking lot. Target has been looted. Cub has been looted … and blockades everywhere,” he said.
“People are stunned by what this looks like. This is every day life, this is the grocery store, this is Target, this is fast food places, things people are really used to. They can’t believe it’s sitting there smoking and burning and there are helicopters above us and sirens going off,” he continues. “It’s just really, really hard to take in.”
The affordable housing development is gone. Wendy’s, too. AutoZone, a husk. pic.twitter.com/95UjML7lN6
— Libor Jany (@StribJany) May 28, 2020
A family-owned gift store and meat market, Ingebretsen’s, was among the damaged businesses. The granddaughter of the store’s founder said “it’s like a war came through here last night,” according to MPR News.