Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said Sunday the presence of the National Guard after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis while in police custody comforted some residents, but “terrorized” others.
In an interview on ABC News’ “This Week,” the progressive lawmaker said “people are looking for justice to take place.”
“Last night the community did feel safe to know that there will not be a burning of their businesses and their homes,” she said.
“But there was also many people who chose to demonstrate and not abide by the curfew who also felt they were terrorized by the presence of tanks and a militarized police,” she said.
Omar called for “nationwide reforms” beyond “just getting justice for George Floyd” by charging the other former Minneapolis police officers “who stood by idly” while former officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck.
“It needs to be bigger than that,” she said.
“What we are seeing, the unrest we are seeing in our nation isn’t just because of the life that was taken,” she said. “It’s also because so many people have experienced this, so many people have experienced injustices within our system, so many people know the social and economic neglect.”
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