Minneapolis, May 29: The renowned Gandhi Mahal restaurant, based in Minneapolis, was severely damaged in the arson carried out by demonstrators seeking justice for George Floyd. Even as the prominent hotel was left in flames, the owner of restaurant said justice for the deceased Floyd is more important to him. Minneapolis Protests: CNN Crew Arrested, Police Station Charred, Lootings Reported, Trump Warns of 'Shootings' - Five Updates.

"Let my building burn. Justice needs to be served, put those officers in jail," Ruhel Islam, the owner of Gandhi Mahal, was reported as saying by his daughter Hafsa in a Facebook post.

The remarks won support from netizens sympathising with the Black Lives Matter agitation, with several among them offering to fund the renovation of hotel.

See Facebook Post Shared by Gandhi Mahal Hotel

Gandhi Mahal's location is based at the intersection of Lake Street and Hiawatha Avenue AutoZone. The area was gripped under violent protests last night, which led to the burning of several shops, departmental stores and eateries.

The protests across Minnesota were triggered on Monday, after a team of four policemen were filmed ruthlessly beating a 46-year-old black man - George - Floyd - accused of using the counterfeit note. One of the cops stood on his neck using a knee - even as Floyd gasped and said he can't breathe. Shortly, Floyd was reported to have died due to the injuries.

The agitation, over the last four days, has spread to several other states of the US and became reminiscent of the 2014 black rights unrest. President Donald Trump expressed sorrow over the demise, but has also disapproved the violent protests and loots reported in Minnesota. He also warned of deploying federal security to suppress the unrest.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 29, 2020 11:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).