But Mr. Frey did not intervene to prevent police officers from moving and firing tear gas and flash grenades.
The next day, hundreds of angry protesters gathered once again outside the compound’s house, facing the ranks of officers who occasionally fired tear gas and rubber bullets. Nearby, a white man, wearing a gas mask and carrying an umbrella, calmly started smashing the AutoZone windows with a hammer. Within hours, AutoZone caught fire.
That night, the mayor asked that the Minnesota National Guard help the city. He left the police to handle the details of the deployment as he believed they had the proper experience.
Assistant Principal Mike Kjos acknowledged “some confusion” about the level of detail required.
“It was a rapidly evolving situation,” he said. “We thought we could apply and while people are coming, we could be formulating what to do.”
Additionally, city leaders did not understand how long it can take for National Guard soldier citizens to leave their normal jobs, report to duty, pick up their equipment, and travel to Minneapolis.
“We expected them to be in place at the time,” said Alondra Cano, a member of the City Council who participated in a “prosecute the police” campaign at the university and now heads the council’s public safety committee. Like Mayor Frey, the vast majority of Minneapolis City Council members are relatively new to government. Five took office in 2018; another five in 2014, including Ms Cano.
As Wednesday night progressed, the buildings above and below Lake Street burst into flames.
“This whole neighborhood could catch fire tonight,” Jamie Schwesnedl, co-owner of Moon Palace Books, a bookstore near the police compound, thought as he spent the night on his roof watching buildings burn around him. “I just can’t believe that the city has not anticipated this or responded proactively.”
