Jacob Frey, mayor of Minneapolis, told a Saturday media briefing that the destructive demonstrations going on in the city over the killing of George Floyd is longer about protest nor verbal expression, but violent.

Frey said protests earlier in the week were peaceful, but they turned violent as more and more people coming from outside the city and region, trying to "cause violent."

Speaking at the joint briefing, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz also said the unrest is "no longer, in any way, about the murder of George Floyd," adding the violent protests are about attacking society.

Minnesota has fully activated the National Guard, with some 1,700 Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen are deployed to cope with the unrest, representing the largest domestic deployment in Minnesota's National Guard's 164-year history.

Meanwhile, Walz vowed to protect peaceful protesters and urged them to practice social distancing during the special time of the COVID-19 pandemic.