Chaos returned to downtown Minneapolis on Wednesday afternoon after a large group of rioters stormed a federal courthouse, smashed windows, and tried to force their way inside, all while chanting demands for ICE to leave the city. The unrest followed an ICE-involved shooting earlier in the day and once again showed how quickly law enforcement incidents spiral into full-blown disorder in cities that refuse to draw clear lines.
Video footage shows rioters surrounding the Diana E. Murphy United States Courthouse, the primary federal court facility in Minneapolis, blowing whistles, yelling “ICE out now,” and banging on doors and windows. Several windows near the main entrance were smashed as the mob tried to intimidate its way inside a federal building. While the exact number is unclear, the crowd appeared to number at least several dozen, more than enough to cause serious damage and overwhelm basic security.
Veteran journalist Andy Ngo reported that left-wing extremist groups had been openly calling for riots on social media before the violence broke out. One organizer reportedly declared, “I feel it’s time to riot in this city like we did for George Floyd.” That statement alone tells you everything you need to know about the mindset driving these events. This was not spontaneous grief, it was organized agitation looking for an excuse.
The trigger was a fatal shooting earlier Wednesday morning involving federal immigration agents. Officials confirmed that a 37-year-old woman was killed during an ICE enforcement operation near East 34th Street and Portland Avenue in South Minneapolis, about a mile from where George Floyd died in 2020. According to video footage, agents approached a vehicle that appeared to be attempting to box them in. The driver reversed, then accelerated forward toward agents, with one agent standing directly in front of the vehicle. At that moment, the agent opened fire, k*lling the driver.
Almost immediately, a hostile crowd gathered at the scene and began throwing projectiles at federal agents. Agents deployed less-than-lethal crowd control munitions before withdrawing. Minneapolis Police remained for several hours, but by early afternoon they retreated as the crowd grew to an estimated 400 people. As police vehicles exited, rioters hurled objects and pounded on windows, turning the withdrawal into another display of mob dominance.
The unrest did not stop there. A large mob marched up 34th Street, blocking traffic, harassing motorists, and spreading chaos through nearby neighborhoods. Others stayed near the shooting site, where a makeshift memorial became a rallying point for more demonstrations as the day wore on.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced that the National Guard was on standby, but not before publicly questioning whether the agent had any right to defend himself. “I’ve seen the video. Don’t believe the propaganda machine,” Walz posted, promising an investigation. That response was telling. Instead of condemning violence against federal officers and property, the governor chose to cast doubt on law enforcement while the city burned again.
What happened in Minneapolis is not about justice or accountability. It is about emboldened mobs, weak leadership, and a political culture that treats riots as activism. When smashing federal buildings and attacking officers is excused or rationalized, the result is predictable. Disorder becomes the point, and law-abiding citizens are left to deal with the fallout.
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