I saw TV coverage of Long Beach. The protesters were fighting with the looters trying to get the looting to stop. There aren’t enough police. The protesters are facilitating looting by taking up police manpower.
Like that is ever going to happen. Angry people usually are’t peaceful.
I am seeing a lot of young people in NYC protesting. I am wondering if any of their parents are telling them to stay in because we are still in the midst of a pandemic.
I don’t understand why the curfews are starting at 8 or 9 pm. Last night Denver’s started at 8pm and it took them until 9:30 to even make a dent in moving the crowds. Why not start at 6 when there is still 2 hours of daylight left?
If I were king, I’d have closed downtown entirely this weekend. The stores and restaurants have just started reopening, but most of them are boarded up now anyway, there are no sports events or theater happening, really no reason to be down there.
The protesters have crossed over the Brooklyn Bridge and are at the Police Plaza. I am hearing sirens and police cars racing down my street, with helicopters overhead.
Seattle’s 5 pm curfew did not make a dent last night. Not a single arrest was made for violations of the curfew. A handful of less than skilled looters was arrested, but that’s it.
Just saw Boston. Packed area with hundreds of people. Many or most now without masks.
This is going to make Lake of Ozarks type incidents seem like a blip on the covid radar.
I applaud the protestors who are being smart and safe. I totally support them.
The others who aren’t being so smart or caring of others could give us a glimpse as to where we are related to an early second wave.
I hope they don’t live with elderly relatives or work in nursing homes in the morning.
The looting is totally different. It’s being managed on social media. The agitators suggest a potential looting spot. Get the ball rolling with the break ins and get out of the way. The videos I’ve seen are not the hard core agitators but seemingly poor people and teens who imho are rationalizing this opportunity or a chance at some free stuff.
I seriously don’t think they see it as stealing. I can’t really articulate it.
I could be wrong. Just a hunch based on the behavior of some of my friends from my own youth.
BIL had finished boarding up the stores in Union Square SF that were damaged by looters yesterday. He’d returned home, showered and was settling in for an evening with the wife.
Just got called back…to repair the same thing he’d repaired as the looters were back…still trying to right racial and social injustices…with expensive handbags no doubt.
UPDATE: Execs for BIL construction company recalled him. Said don’t go, don’t bother. Oh yes…grab the Birkin bags. REALLY show em how serious you are about setting the scales of injustices on equal balance.
This. There are a small number of protesters who are looking for a violent confrontation, and, aside from these, there are a bunch of criminals who follow protests that turn violent, and take advantage of the chaos to break into stores and to loot. If you look at the looters on camera, it is fairly clear that these aren’t the same people as the protesters (many White looters there as well).
Andrew Solender of Forbes posted a video of protesters protecting a Target from being looted on his Twitter account (I evidently cannot link a Twitter post).
Conflating looters and protesters is wrong, and people should stop doing it.
Regarding other violence - often, it is the police who instigate the violence. In Columbus, Ohio, police twice have teargassed peaceful protesters who weren’t complying with the police demands fast enough. The people who were tear gassed included a number of elected officials.
Over the past few years, we have seen unarmed POC being murdered by police while being arrested, while, at the same time, armed White Supremacists are allowed to barge into state capitols, take over federal buildings, etc.
The reason that the anti-shut down protests ended up with less violence was because the police just allowed them to do as they wished, while the protesters now being treated far more violently than any anti-shutdown protesters. When anti shutdown protesters stormed the state buildings in Columbus, not a single one was arrested, and not a single tear gas canister was fired.
Somebody here complained about the poor business owners who were being arrested. Yes, they were arrested. However, they weren’t being murdered. No police officer held them down on the ground with a knee on their necks, while they yelled that they couldn’t breath. None of them was shot as they ran away, none were shot at all. None were beaten, tear-gassed, thrown to the ground and had their faces pushed into the gutter. They were treated with kid gloves, and, at worst, had their wrists slapped. See what happens if you are Black and are being pulled over by the police for “being suspicious”.
Add to the the fact that POC have, proportionally suffered much worse from the pandemic. More sick, more dead, and more suffering economic loss. Look it up. However, not only were their concerns ignored, those of White Supremacists were heard and considered.
So there is a lot of anger, frustration, and fear. Every bit of fear that people are feeling here as a result of the riots and protests is only a small part of what it is like to be a POC in many parts of the USA today.
The historic St. Johns church in Washington DC is on fire!
We had a peaceful protest led by our mayor, other elected officials, clergy and various other community activists.
Not likely there would be too many of those bags. They are usually back ordered for few years. A store would likely only have 1-2, if at all.
The thugs have vandalized the National WWII memorial! I am just sick.
Its awful to see what they are doing in Santa Monica.
I just heard a loud boom where I am.
Where are you getting this info, @oldfort?
And where are you located? I know I should know, but I don’t.
To watch looters destroy their own neighborhood businesses in Philly is just beyond sad.
You seem well-informed on Louis Vuitton handbags.
They’ve begun issuing bulletproof vests to EMTs and paramedics.
Birkin is not LV, it’s Hermes.
I am in NYC.
Anyone who watched the Gilmore Girls would be familiar with Birkin bags.