Minnesota National Guard sends more than 500 troops to Minneapolis, St. Paul

More than 500 members of the Minnesota National Guard deployed to Minneapolis and St. Paul on Thursday, their "key objective" being to ensure fire departments can respond to calls.

Gov. Tim Walz (D) declared a state of emergency in the Twin Cities and called in the Minnesota National Guard in response to protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody. Several buildings have been set on fire in both cities, including the 3rd Precinct station in Minneapolis, going up in flames after demonstrators forcibly entered the building.

The Minnesota National Guard said its mission is to "protect life" and "preserve property and the right to peacefully demonstrate," and tweeted a photo showing one of its vehicles next to a Minneapolis Fire Department truck.