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North Dakota National Guard Activated Ahead of Demonstrations

Dozens of Louisville Officers Walk out on Mayor Amid Protests

Dozens of officers in Louisville, Kentucky, appeared to walk out on the mayor on Wednesday as he tried to address them, according to video footage of the incident. Fraternal Order of Police President Ryan Nichols, who was not in attendance, confirmed the walkout. He said that police are frustrated with Mayor Greg Fischer, a Democrat, while they have been responding to protests, riots, and looting since last week. “They feel completely unsupported and disrespected by this administration,” Nichols said, according to the Courier-Journal, which obtained the video of the walkout. “They feel whatever he was going to say would have been nothing more than lip service, and he does not care about them at all.” The video footage showed Fischer trying to address the police department as officers and detectives…

North Dakota National Guard Activated Ahead of Demonstrations

North Dakota’s governor ordered more than 100 National Guard troops to be sent to the state’s borders ahead of protests in Fargo on Friday.

“The North Dakota National Guard is ready to assist local authorities to protect lives, property and critical infrastructure, preserve peace, and ensure public safety,” a North Dakota National Guard spokesman told ABC News. “We have a company-sized element from the 131 Military Police Battalion supporting this mission. Roughly 160 Soldiers.”

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum on Wednesday announced he would activate the National Guard troops after credible threats were received. He did not elaborate.

Meanwhile, the Fargo mayor’s office made the call on Wednesday to activate troops.

“Based on received threats, Fargo City Hall, the downtown Fargo Public Library and Fargo Municipal Court will be fully closed on Friday with all employees working remotely,” the city of Fargo said in a statement ahead of the demonstrations. “The North Dakota National Guard has been activated to protect public infrastructure.”

North Dakota National Guard Activated Ahead of Demonstrations Protesters march down Flatbush Avenue to the Barclays Center in the New York City borough of Brooklyn as memorial events are held for George Floyd, in New York, on June 4, 2020. (Jonathan Oatis/Reuters)

Mayor Tim Mahoney said that following discussions, “We all want tomorrow’s event to be peaceful, productive and a celebration.”

Several organizations will partake in the event on Friday at a local park that is intended to be a community event, adding that no protesters will be allowed to block transportation in the city.

“The City will not tolerate violent acts targeting any individuals or property. The department will continually monitor any threats. We believe threats may exist but we don’t have information suggesting there are specific targets regarding downtown businesses,” the city said in a statement Thursday. “Business and property owners may make their own decisions as to what precautions they believe are best for them.” Business and property owners may make their own decisions as to what precautions they believe are best for them.”

It came after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced the National Guard will be sent to Clay County, noting that local law enforcement has become aware of “threats that violent activities during demonstrations planned in North Dakota could spill into nearby Minnesota communities.”

“The Minnesota National Guard stands ready to provide protection for all Minnesotans,” Walz added in a statement. “While Minnesotans turn their attention to rebuilding our communities and reexamining racial inequities in the wake of George Floyd’s death, our administration is committed to providing protection for our neighborhoods, businesses, and families in order for those meaningful conversations to happen.”

He also didn’t elaborate on the threat.

At demonstration sites around the country, meanwhile, protesters said the quieter mood is the result of several factors: the new and upgraded criminal charges against the police officers involved in Floyd’s arrest; a more conciliatory approach by police who have marched with them or taken a knee to recognize their message; and the realization that the burst of rage after Floyd’s death is not sustainable.

There were still skirmishes in the Bronx and elsewhere. In Buffalo, a police commissioner suspended two officers after video from WBFO showed a man being shoved after walking up to police as they were enforcing a curfew Thursday night. The man appeared to hit his head on the pavement and blood leaked out as officers walk past. The man was hospitalized.

Focus News: North Dakota National Guard Activated Ahead of Demonstrations

Journalists Demand Police to Stop Attacks Against Press at George Floyd Protests

Journalists are urging state and law enforcement leaders to stop attacks on the press following a series of reports that journalists have been shot at, pepper-sprayed, manhandled, and arrested while covering the George Floyd protests. Reporter groups and individual journalists are taking action to demand police officers to stop targeting members of the press, who are credentialed and identifiable, and to hold officers accountable for any alleged misconduct. One reporter, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union, has taken his fight to a federal court by filing a class-action lawsuit alleging that the “extraordinary escalation of unlawful force deliberately targeting reporters” by police officers violates the U.S. Constitution. “It violates the sacrosanct right to freedom of speech and freedom of the press that form the linchpin of a free society.…