Why do protesters loot and burn

[Bigworldoutthere]

Disclaimer: not a comment on the awful event leading up to it but on rots/ protest in general. Watching the situation in Minneapolis it struck me that in almost all protest situations there are people —young men— who burn things that are useful to them and there community, loot shops that are useful for them and their community and damage/smash the same. I can understand anger s as d shouting but why actually damage the area you live in?

[Justanotherlurker]

I think people need to look at some of the livestreams thats going on at the minute, Unicorn Riot is a good one.

Also as people keep pushing the supposed cop with the umbrella, the bellingcat has done a piece on this, and I trust them way more than I do business insider.

A twitter thread to keep an eye on instead just reposting crap from facebook et al

twitter.com/JaneLytv/status/1266347012221476864

[CSIblonde]

Sadly, genuine peaceful protests get hijacked by the opportunistic, violent, feral minority.

[Justanotherlurker]

Sadly, genuine peaceful protests get hijacked by the opportunistic, violent, feral minority.

It's been an opportunist movement for a while, there is genuine concern and rightly so, but the people trying to push angles from only one side are here to cause division.

Here is a couple of streams live at the minute.

Seattle is about to kick off

LA has already semi kicked off, but here is a live stream www.twitch.tv/nezst

Regg got caught on a building that looters lit underneath him, he is the sauce for some of the agenda pushing that it is only white (right wing) kids starting fires, a quick view of his previous live streams show that it has been clipped and he shows a hell of a lot more thats balanced

[HorsesInTheSky]

Good post OldQueen


If you have never felt the fear and pain of an injustice against which you are powerless no matter how you behave, you are very lucky

Exactly, and I would say anyone trotting out the "why are you damaging your own community?" line has clearly never felt such oppression and marginalisation.

[HorsesInTheSky]

Also as people keep pushing the supposed cop with the umbrella, the bellingcat has done a piece on this, and I trust them way more than I do business insider

Link?

[Mypathtriedtokillme]

Generations of systemic racism has come to a boiling point.
Nothing was done to change the system of in built racism and targeting of minority’s post the LA riots when Rodney king was brutalised by police in 1991.

It’s been almost 30 years and nothing has changed in police culture or American culture as a whole and has gotten worse with a president who emboldens and praises white supremacy.

US Police are often poorly educated (straight out of high school), very young and turn to violence as means to control rather than non violent means used by other countries police forces.

[SandyY2K]

It's just like the Rodney King case all over again. It infuriates me as a black person how white police officers get away with brutality and murder. They are thugs in a uniform.

People are reacting to the way black people are treated when they look and they want to be heard.

My blood boils when I see a claim of that idiot kneeling on his neck and thy other two officers were on the rest of his body....so I'm not surprised about the outrage.

Remember many of those people have been on the receiving end too...cameras are not always there and you know they would deny it.

The oppression continues...i don't bodh them for reacting like this...

The racism needs to stop.
www.facebook.com/QUEETER/videos/10156333823451039/

[Biomedical]

They tried peaceful protest over and over - it doesn’t work. It won’t ever work. Looting represents destroying capitalism that has been created to keep the poor, very poor and that includes many people with black skin. I fully support it and wish it to continue until white people are just as afraid of black people as they are us. Then we will be equal.

[DeeCeeCherry]

Even the CEO of Target has come out and said that at least Target can be rebuilt but sadly, George Floyd can't be brought back.

Black people have been brutalised, murdered, disenfranchised, unheard, for decade upon decade. That's black bodies being looted.

& Now seeing George Floyd publicly murdered by a psychopath cop who knelt on his neck for almost 9 minutes, crushing his windpipe, has tipped things over the edge.

But yeah - Worry about looting, OP. The days of Kumbaya are gone and whatever protesters have done, they didn't fan the flames of racism in the 1st place.

Despite your nonsensical question and the sadness of recent events, I'm heartened to see black and white people from all over the world who know right from wrong, standing together on this injustice.

[binkyboinky]

Many of the looters are white men (Far shite) vandalising shops to derail the protests and make the protesters look bad. There's a video showing this.

[Destroyedpeople]

I think protesters loot and burn because their peaceful protests are ignored. I think 'the states' are burning right now because black people have been enslaved downtrodden and exploited. Oh and imprisoned killed and disenfranchised. Comparing this with some white middle class ER brit kids looting a few pairs if trainers back in 2010 is naive at beSt.

[Mnthrowaway20202]

I can absolutely see how tone deaf my post was and have requested for it to be removed.

[TannatTart]

It’s all kicking off in my city tonight. Riots, looting, fires, the lot. I went to the protest rally this afternoon, hundreds of people marching peacefully. I can’t believe this is happening.

[managinged]

TannatTart, are you in Rochester, New York? Because that's what happened in Rochester tonight. Curfew until 7:00 tomorrow morning.

[OmgThereAreNoPlanesAboveMeNow]

Even the CEO of Target has come out and said that at least Target can be rebuilt but sadly, George Floyd can't be brought back.

I don't want to sound horrible, but obviously he would say that... Let's face it, if he condemned it, they would probably lose shops even outside the riot areas and there would be a horrible PR mess....

[MCP86]

Hi, she wasnt a legitimate wheelchair user...she was pretending.
Also! You forgot to mention the reason why they set the fire extinguisher off on her!!!! She had a knife and was stabbing people! How convenient if you to have left that but out.

[BlooperReel]

I find the OP's question very disingenuous. A quick Google will show hundreds of peaceful protests over the course of history on the issue of racism, segregation, civil rights, you name it. Peaceful protests from the black community have achieved diddly squat when it comes to the particular issue of black lives matter, as is evidenced by the murder of George Floyd. If my sons, brothers, friends etc were being systematically killed in this way with such frightening regularity, I'd be smashing shit up and screaming my rage too.

Doesn't take much to wrap your head around it OP

[Clavinova]

Hi, she wasn't a legitimate wheelchair user...she was pretending.

That's an odd thing to do - perhaps it was just her mobility scooter, not a wheelchair.

[Pertella]

Spot the difference...

[Grumpos]

Because why they fuck not???
People are angry, enraged, sick, tired, grieving.
This isn’t a peaceful sit in. And it shouldn’t be.
Women’s rights were not won peacefully and neither were gay rights.
Although it’s absolutely fucked up that it should have to come to this, I totally support and understand why there is rioting.
Would I personally start throwing shit through windows to get attention and change? Yup.
Enough is enough

[Clavinova]

Because why...not???

"Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms gave an emotional speech on Saturday morning, citing the actions of looters who smashed windows and threw bottles, rocks and knives at law enforcement as “not a protest” and “not Atlanta.”

Speech at 00.41 -

www.foxnews.com/politics/mayor-among-leaders-condemning-riots

[Clavinova]

Actually - you might need to scroll down to listen to her speech in full.

[kirinm]

It took the protests and violence for the police officer to be arrested. Sometimes it seems to be the only way to ensure action is taken. Imagine knowing a police officer who had killed a man, with a video showing the world, hadn't been arrested let some charged for DAYS after it happened.

[DeeCeeCherry]

Get it right...