See It: Cops Shot Residents With Paintballs to Enforce Walz’s COVID Lockdown Curfew

Original article here

In a recently resurfaced video from May 30, 2020, heavily armed police officers enforcing a strict curfew in Minneapolis were captured firing paintballs at residents standing on their porches.

The harrowing footage, filmed by a resident in the Whittier neighborhood, has sparked renewed debate about the aggressive tactics used during the city’s unrest following the death of George Floyd and amid the COVID lockdowns.

Many on X are taking issue at Kamala Harris’s VP pick Tim Walz over the shocking video, with some even dubbing him a “COVID Nazi.”

The video begins with Kersson filming a convoy of police officers slowly making their way down a quiet residential street.

A tan Humvee leads the procession, followed closely by at least 25 riot cops clad in heavy armor.

The New York Post reported that the scene resembles a dystopian movie as the officers bark orders at residents to retreat inside their homes.

“Go home! Get inside! Get in your house now, let’s go!” the officers shout, their voices echoing down the street.

Despite the officers’ demands, resident Tanya Kersson continues to film from her porch, capturing the tense moment on camera.

Her original video is currently unavailable on X, however, other users have still circulated the damning footage as this story continues to gain attention again.

“Never forget that, during the COVID lockdowns, Gov. Tim Walz sent police through neighborhoods outside of Minneapolis and St. Paul to shoot people with paintballs for standing outside,” one user said of the now-viral clip.

The situation escalates when one officer is heard yelling, “Light ’em up!”

Without warning, the police begin firing paintballs at Kersson and her guests.

The muzzle flashes from the paintball guns are clearly visible against the dimming light of dusk as the residents scramble to take cover inside the house.

Kersson’s frantic shouts of “Get in! Get in! Get in!” fill the video as the group hastily retreats from the barrage.

The Post reported that this incident occurred just days after Walz issued an executive order imposing a strict 8 p.m. curfew on Minneapolis and St. Paul.

The order was intended to curb the violent riots that had erupted in the wake of George Floyd’s death. However, the enforcement of this curfew in residential neighborhoods, far from the areas where the most severe unrest occurred, has drawn sharp criticism.

The Whittier neighborhood, where the video was filmed, is known for its trendy atmosphere, housing the Minneapolis Institute of Art and a bustling restaurant scene.

The area is located more than two miles from the intersection where Floyd was killed, a site that became the epicenter of protests, riots and looting for several days.

The outlet highlighted that despite the relative calm of the Whittier neighborhood compared to other parts of the city, the police presence was both overwhelming and aggressive.

Governor Walz defended the curfew and its enforcement in a June 1 extension of the order, stating, “Since May 29, 2020, when I first issued a nighttime curfew, over 400 individuals have been arrested, with over 250 individuals arrested after the 8:00 p.m. curfew on May 31, 2020.”

“Because much of the destruction and violence has taken place under the cover of darkness, we must continue a temporary nighttime curfew in coordination with the Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul.”

The governor’s decision to enforce the curfew with such force, even against residents in their own homes, has been met with widespread criticism.

This was not the first time Walz faced backlash for his pandemic-era policies.

Earlier in 2020, Walz instituted a controversial “hotline” that encouraged Minnesotans to report each other for violating social distancing guidelines.

This move, like the curfew enforcement, was seen by many as an overreach of government power that turned neighbor against neighbor in the famously friendly North Star State.