Elected leaders in Minnesota have falsely claimed that out-of-state instigators are mostly to blame for the vandalism, looting, and violence in their state.

“The people that are doing this are not Minneapolis residents. They are coming in largely from outside of this city, outside of the region, to prey on everything we have built over the last several decades,” Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey said at a press conference on Saturday.

“Our best estimate right now that I heard is about 20 percent, is what we think are Minnesotans, and about 80 percent are outside,” Governor Tim Walz said.

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“Every single person we arrested last night, I’m told, was from out of state,” said St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter.

In fact, the overwhelming majority of those arrested have provided Minnesota addresses:

We’re now hearing from local authorities: Of the 57 people arrested in protest-related incidents through Saturday morning, 47 (82 percent) provided a Minnesota address to authorities, said Jeremy Zoss, a spokesman for the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.

— Shane Harris (@shaneharris) May 31, 2020