Talking Points: Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka On Hearings Over Recent Looting In The Twin Cities

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) --  Its been just over a month since George Floyd's death and the violent looting that went on for days afterword.

That violence and looting damaged at least 1,000 buildings, destroying many of them. Republicans who control the Minnesota Senate will be holding hearings to determine why the violence continued for days and who is to blame.

They say this climate of lawlessness continued with the toppling of the Christopher Columbus statue at the State Capitol on June 10.

Republicans are outraged because both Gov. Tim Walz and Commissioner of Public Safety John Harrington knew about the planned statue attack beforehand.

Majority Leader Paul Gazelka was a guest on WCCO Sunday Morning.

"We should not allow mob rule to change anything in our culture and when the governor had been notified that afternoon, at least an hour ahead of time, I can't believe they think this is how change should happen in Minnesota," Gazelka said.

Sen. Gazelka says he wants more details on why the Minneapolis third precinct was abandoned by police, allowing protesters to take it over and burn it down.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has said previously the decision to give up the precinct was his after protestors outnumbered officers and there was the threat of what Frey says would have been hand to hand combat and loss of life.