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?

[Aretheystillasleepbob]

‘Blacks killing blacks is a far bigger problem in the US but no protesting for that....’

Have you missed the whole Black Lives matter moment??
And how is it ‘A bigger problem’ than Black citizens being murdered at the drop of a hat by the police forces that are supposed to be protecting citizens? There’s a reason Amy Cooper told the police an ‘African America man’ was threatening her life in Central Park after a bird watcher called her out for having her dog off the leash. She was handing him a potential death sentence.

[Pertella]

Last year 24% of people killed by the police were black, despite being only 13% of the population. So the rate is not the same.

To add to that, you would need to also look at the "reason" why they were killed. A white man being shot by the police during a mass shooting spree is not even comparable to a black man being suffocated to death for allegedly passing a forged note.

[Bigworldoutthere]

For all the people implying I’m missing the core actions that sparked the current situation, I’m not. (Also not white either btw). I’m asking about in general. I can understand why anger leads to violence but in any riot situation rioters seem to end up destroying part of their own areas - why not destroy the areas of the people the rioters view as the core of their problem (am talking about in any context not just the current one). The wrongs of the actions that lead to the current situation is a totally separate thread.

[FlatCheese]

Bigworldoutthere - Read MaeDanvers Twitter link, if you haven't already. Explains a lot.

I'm still hoping they (metaphorically) nail those policemen to the wall as an example and reform the whole lot. Unfortunately, I think what will happen is that Trump will up the level of force against protesters and some people will praise him for it.

[Bigworldoutthere]

Thanks - it didn’t come up with any links when I checked though. I agree with you, am interested in riots/protests in general as it would make much more sense to burn/smash the perceived source of the problem rather than a shop your granny would need to use. Still remember the lady sweeping the streets from the London riots asking why their shop windows had been smashed

[Freddiefox]

@Bigworldoutthere

For all the people implying I’m missing the core actions that sparked the current situation, I’m not. (Also not white either btw). I’m asking about in general. I can understand why anger leads to violence but in any riot situation rioters seem to end up destroying part of their own areas - why not destroy the areas of the people the rioters view as the core of their problem (am talking about in any context not just the current one). The wrongs of the actions that lead to the current situation is a totally separate thread.

People are angry. People have been protesting peacefully for years. It’s got us absolutely no where.
Why don’t people riot in the area where the people they have a problem with live? Because they are protected by the police? They would simply be shot.
People riot because there are no other options left.

[fiftyandfat]

I worked in USA for a while. I could have stayed, but I couldn't stomach the racism.
Nothing would induce me to go back, not even for a holiday.

[Bigworldoutthere]

Because they are protected by the police? They would simply be shot. I can see that may be the case in the USA but what about France and London though? It just doesn’t make sense to destroy the area of your own community to make a point to other people who won’t be as badly impacted by your actions.

[LadyofTheManners]

@TwilightPeace

And any section of society who use the execution in the street of a male as an excuse for violence and to steal a new TV are scum. They're not protesting, they're adding fuel to racism.

An excuse for violence? What violence?
Destroying shops and looting isn’t violent.

They aren’t adding fuel to racism. They are REACTING to racism.

They set off a fire extinguisher in the face of an elderly woman in a wheelchair. That's violent
The fact they smash and burn people's businesses, potentially ending their livelihood, that's violent.
Throwing things in the street. That's violent.

It was the same in the London riots due to Cregan being shot. A friend's nephew, who had nothing to do with any racism, any incident, was just a guy, living and working in London, had his flat burned to the ground. He lost everything. He didn't have insurance as he couldn't afford to pay for it.
Is that fair because one drug dealing scuzz got taken out for waving a gun around at police?

I'm all for protest against those who deserve to be protested at. The people who feel it's fine to smash anything they see fit indiscriminately are disgusting.
And those who do have their livelihoods or their homes burned down or smashed up as an "reaction" to the actions of someone not connected to them: who do they react at?

[FlatCheese]

Bigworldoutthere

twitter.com/Trillharmonic/status/1266021538819645440

and click on the "show thread" in the top post works for me. Explains that it's not a "community" and really quite a bleak place to live (understatement).

[Freddiefox]

@TwilightPeace

Blacks killing blacks is a far bigger problem in the US but no protesting for that....

🙄

You’ve got to be on a wind up right?
You don’t think the people who are paid to protect us killing the public just because they want to is a bigger problem.

[fia101]

Until you make it inconvenient for everyone politicians don't listen. Following rules and being polite and silent in your protest is exactly what the government wants.

[LadyofTheManners]

@Bigworldoutthere

For all the people implying I’m missing the core actions that sparked the current situation, I’m not. (Also not white either btw). I’m asking about in general. I can understand why anger leads to violence but in any riot situation rioters seem to end up destroying part of their own areas - why not destroy the areas of the people the rioters view as the core of their problem (am talking about in any context not just the current one). The wrongs of the actions that lead to the current situation is a totally separate thread.

But there in lies the problem

All the while people rush to excuse the behaviour of these looters, and say "but white people caused it" it allows it to spread and continue and totally silences the voice of those trying to bring incidents like I can't breathe and now George Floyd to the public attention.

It's like certain people feel if we dont start smashing stuff with them or don't nod approval, we're immediately racists ourselves and part of the problem. The fact they assume your race says it all.

[UsedUpUsername]

Last year 24% of people killed by the police were black, despite being only 13% of the population. So the rate is not the same

You have to also look at it by number of police encounters. Once you factor that in, it does equalize

[Chillipeanuts]

Protests often begin with genuine people then rent a mob turns up to cash in.

[Bigworldoutthere]

Thank you Flatcheese. That actually makes a lot of sense if I’ve read it right - if you feel alienated or as though you don’t owe anyone anything in your area you won’t care about depriving someone’s granny of a place to shop etc and if the facilities are poor then you might feel like you’re not losing anything and if you have no community feel/no community then no reason to travel to smash something. at the poor lady in the wheelchair - I haven’t heard that

[TwilightPeace]

They set off a fire extinguisher in the face of an elderly woman in a wheelchair. That's violent

Did you watch the video? She had a knife in her hand and was swinging it around trying to stab people BEFORE they let off the fire extinguisher.

*The fact they smash and burn people's businesses, potentially ending their livelihood, that's violent.
Throwing things in the street. That's violent. *

Destroying ‘things’ is not more violent than murdering people. Shops have insurance, they can be re-built.

[GreytExpectations]

It's because it's the only way people will listen! Peaceful protests haven't worked, remember Colin Kaepernick, the American football player who kneeled during the National anthem as a protest against police brutality? He got so much critism and was thrown off the NHF and the NHL threatened fines if any team members continued this. When will you white people get it, peaceful protesting doesn't work! It's took 3 days, riots, looting and fires being set for them to actually arrest the piece of shit officer for the murder of George Floyd and what about all the other police officers who have murdered innocent black men? They are still walking free. Shame on you OP for making the serious issue of Rascism in America about people looting.

[User8008135]

Answering your Post title, they don't. Most are normal people. Criminals and thugs loot and burn. They love a good protest and gathering, use them as a chance to have 'fun'.

[Monkeynuts18]

Basically, the answer to your question is that people don’t always act completely rationally when decades and decades of rage, frustration and fear spill over (particularly when peaceful protest has got them nowhere).

[Cam77]

YOUTUBE “autozone police officer smashes windows.”
There is a video of a well built white man in headgear with an umbrella calming hammering the windows of the Autonzone which is apparently wher the rioting/looting began. Watch the whole video, it’s about 1 min 40.
A lot of speculation he is a police officer. Regardless, certainly looks like an agent provocateur. Certainly not a black man.

[Radders23]

They set off a fire extinguisher in the face of an elderly woman in a wheelchair.

Actually, if you do a quick search you will find she is actually a 30 year old pretending to be disabled (shown walking in video). Most shocking - she was stabbing only the black looters that were leaving the Target but letting white looters leave. Incredible how the media has spun this!

[SoVeryLost]

@yogz1976

Blacks killing blacks is a far bigger problem in the US but no protesting for that....

Maybe you need to understand why that happens... Racism is still the cause of this, but you know this and just want to stir up shit.

Read up on structural racism and the fact most black people don't have a chance to make it in the corporate world and so go into drugs etc which then lead to black on black crime. Deal with the cause not the symptom.

[GreytExpectations]

Op, how do you think they should have protested to make a point? Don't you realise the only reason that cop was taken into custody was because of the rioting? I think this level is unfortunate but when there is no other option its just the way it has to be until the system changes.

[Bigworldoutthere]

GreytExpectations Feel free to start your own thread on the line you want to go down. Shame is an interesting way to try to divert a dialogue. Not taking it as I am referring to a range of roots not just ones involving black Americans. A recap for this one. Again, I’m not white. Again, I can understand violence as a response to a heinous act. Again, what I was asking why damage your own area rather than the target of your ire.