Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz mobilized the National Guard to support the Minnesota State Patrol and other local law enforcement during expected weekend protests in downtown Minneapolis.

"We are staged and ready to respond. We are not deployed to city streets at this time," Minnesota National Guard spokesperson Army Maj. Andrea Tsuchiya told CNN earlier, adding that troops will help provide "traffic support to protect life, preserve property, and support the rights of all Minnesotans to assemble peacefully."

Citizen journalists on X reported National Guard Humvees staging across multiple parts of the metro area throughout the morning and into the late afternoon.

"Stay safe and stay peaceful today," Gov. Walz wrote on X earlier today, adding, "Our public safety team has the resources, coordination, and personnel on the ground to maintain public safety and respond if needed. Thanks to local law enforcement for keeping the peace."

Daily Caller spotted what appears to be a 'mostly peaceful' protester...

Protest activity already underway:

Overnight, CBS News reported that the Justice Department is investigating Gov. Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over an alleged conspiracy to impede federal immigration agents during deportation operations (read report).

Details remain scant about the specific comments by Walz and Frey that DOJ investigators have focused on, but there is a recent interview in which the mayor acknowledges the existence of a network of left-wing nonprofits organizing pressure campaigns in the city. He stopped just short of identifying which nonprofits were involved.

Related:

*Developing. Check back for updates as protest activity is expected this evening. That said, temperatures in the metro area are currently 9°F, with lows forecast to fall to -3°F. Those conditions are likely to thin the turnout of the Grantifa and purple-haired white liberals, though Antifa and Antifa-aligned militant groups may still attempt to cause chaos.