Calmer night in the Twin Cities as curfew expires

KSTP

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Officers and members of the Minnesota National Guard were out in the Twin Cities in force overnight, enforcing a mandatory curfew.

The curfew started at 8 p.m. Thursday and expired at 6 a.m. Friday.

Arrests were made as soon as that curfew began, but for the most part, it was a calmer night. The arrests were expected after city and state leaders spent Thursday warning the public they will not tolerate violence.

Minneapolis and St. Paul institute curfews Thursday night

A KSTP crew reported seeing a heavy police presence along Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis throughout the night and into Friday morning.

[KSTP-TV]

According to officials, as of 9:15 p.m. Thursday, 30 people had been arrested for violating curfew. Officers also recovered an illegal handgun.

MPD: At least 30 people arrested for violating curfew

Meanwhile, Friday morning, the Minnesota State Patrol reported troopers and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officers arrested 49 people overnight. State patrol reported those arrests were primarily for curfew violations. Several knives were also confiscated, state patrol said.

An update on arrests is also expected later Friday.

City leaders said more than 1,000 law enforcement officers from several agencies, including 400 members of the Minnesota National Guard, patrolled the Twin Cities on Thursday night.

National Guard steps in after looting, unrest in Minneapolis

Before curfew went into place, Gov. Tim Walz said the state would support Minneapolis with any resources the city needs. He also had a message for the community.

"In a time in our nation when the unrest and the distrust is running high, Minnesota needs to be that example," Walz said. "I said it at the end of May and I will continue to say it; we have the opportunity to be defined by either what happened to George Floyd and these continued acts, or we can be defined by how we respond to them."

Walz is expected to give an update later Friday on the current situation. He thanked Minnesota for cooperating Thursday night on Twitter.

The Minnesota National Guard also extended thanks on social media, stating, "Thank you to everyone in the community who followed the curfews and helped to make last night a more peaceful one!"