George Floyd protests spread nationwide

Gov. Tim Walz said he has an expectation that "swift" justice will be carried against the police officers involved in the death of George Floyd.

All four officers involved in the death of George Floyd have invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman told CNN following a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Freeman said he looking at the Freddie Gray case for guidance in the Floyd case and wants to have the full picture of the case before moving forward.

"So, Minnesotans, your pain is real. The chapter that's been written this week is one of our darkest chapters," Walz said.

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz expressed his concern over the protests that have rocked his state and the black community which, he said, is "hurting beyond words." 

Walz went on to directly mention George Floyd and Philando Castile who, in July 2016, was shot and killed by a police officer in Falcon Heights, Minnesota.

"Much like we failed to hear George Floyd as he pleaded for his life as the world watched, by people sworn to protect him, his community, our state. Philando Castile silenced, unheard, so many brothers and sisters dying in the streets, unheard, now the pain is manifesting itself around the world and the world is watching," Walz said.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is holding a news conference to address the state’s response to protests and safety concerns following the death of George Floyd. Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington will also be attending.

The governor signed an executive order Thursday activating the Minnesota National Guard after protests and demonstrations erupted throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul.

ESPN host and Los Angeles Times columnist LZ Granderson became emotional when discussing his son and the protests over George Floyd’s death.

“[My son] recently just graduated from college. And I can't tell you the fear that — the fear that crawls across my body when he leaves the house, still,” Granderson said, his voice cracking, in an interview on CNN. 

He discussed on air a column he wrote yesterday in the Los Angeles Times where he describes the anxiety he lives with as a black man in America.

Granderson also addressed the arrest of Omar Jimenez, a black Latino CNN reporter, in Minneapolis while Jimenez and his crew were covering the Floyd protests. 

“When you have darker skin, there is no insulation for this type of behavior, and so my heart was just broken watching this young man have to deal with that. It reminded me of my own experiences,” he said. 

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President Trump tweeted about the unrest in Minneapolis for the first time this morning since his late-night tweet, threatening that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts." That tweet was flagged by Twitter as violating the platform's rules.

Trump said in his latest tweet that the National Guard has "arrived on the scene" in Minneapolis and is "fully prepared."

Per a tweet late Thursday evening, the Minnesota National Guard activated more than 500 soldiers to the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and surrounding communities.

The Ohio Statehouse was damaged by protestors late Thursday evening, the Ohio Department of Public Security confirmed to CNN on Friday morning.

According to CNN affiliate WBNS, hundreds of protestors gathered in downtown Columbus late Thursday evening “in solidarity to show support” following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Here's what the scene was like: The protesters then “began to break the windows of local businesses, bus stops and even the windows and front doors of the Ohio Statehouse,” according to the affiliate.

A few protestors on the statehouse grounds “began to commit acts of vandalism, damaging some windows, light fixtures and doors,” the Ohio Department of Public Security said in a statement.

Officers were eventually able to disperse protestors from the grounds. One protester who entered the statehouse through a broken window was arrested after he fled out the back of the building, DPS said.

CNN has reached out to the Columbus Division of Police, as they are handling all charges related to this protest. 

All windows and doors damaged in the incident have since been secured, according to DPS, and an investigation to document property damage will be conducted.

Columbus mayor reacts to protests: Mayor Andrew Ginther reacted to the protests happening in the city in a tweet Thursday and asked residents to "remain peaceful in their actions."

Read the tweet:

Melania Trump has tweeted her first public words about the protests in Minnesota, and her condolences to the family of George Floyd.

She says the country “allows for peaceful protests, but there is no reason for violence.”

This comes after President Donald Trump's tweet last night about the protests was flagged by Twitter as violating the platform's rules.

Read the tweet:

The death of George Floyd has ignited protests in Minneapolis and at least six other cities across the US. Some of the protests have been peaceful, while others have been destructive.

Minneapolis has been the epicenter of the protests, where state police in body armor and riot gear lined up overnight near the city's police precinct that was set ablaze by protesters.

Here is a snapshot of where protests have occurred so far: 

Some of these protests may not be active at this moment. We continue to monitor the latest on the ground.

The following protest photos were taken in Denver, Memphis and Columbus Thursday evening:

It's a little past 9:00 a.m. in Minneapolis, Minnesota where protests have been happening for several days following the death of an unarmed black man earlier this week in city officers' custody.

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