Less than an hour after the break-in at the 3rd police precinct late on Thursday night, flames had spread to nearly the whole building, with a crowd of demonstrators gathered outside celebrating as police staged a retreat. RT’s Sophia Narwitz reported live from the main protest area.

Activated earlier on Thursday by the Minnesota state government, the National Guard announced a 500-troop deployment to Minneapolis and St. Paul late in the evening. No guardsmen have yet been seen in the area around the precinct, however, as the protests only intensify.

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