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?

[OtterBe4]

@LadyofTheManners
Lady in wheelchair was brandishing a knife at looters so I can see why that happened to her.
My DD14 said try kneeling on the floor for 8 minutes, no moving and let it sink in how horrific that was!
It’s 2020 and the US President has normalised open racism, therefore the police think they can behave how they please.
White armed C19 protesters marched through the streets and were not even challenged by the police, yet a peaceful protest of mainly black ppl are confronted by riot police and descended into carnage.
It’s quite obvious why it happened, is it not?

[User8008135]

Some people aldo join mobs to incite. My friend very briefly dated a man with a hero complex. When he helped her off a fight ridden dance floor and punched away one of the fighters, we though right place right time. Actually he joined the fights or instigated them along do he can play hero.

[GreytExpectations]

Why would I start my own thread? My questions and posts are relevant to this discussion. If you don't want to discuss disagreements than maybe don't post on a public forum.

[LadyofTheManners]

@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.

But yet you miss where I said not everyone does have insurance. And insurance only covers so much. What about down time whilst buildings are rebuilt and made safe?
I have seen the video yes. I've seen where idiots had placed a snap over it saying she was stabbing people and saw nothing of the sort. If she was armed I can't say I blame her, how would you like as a vulnerable, older, disabled white female to have to wade through that to get your groceries?

Excuses excuses as usual. Im sorry but are we also meant to turn a blind eye to the fact the guy was committing a crime as well?

And have a look on twitter- a video posted yesterday of a group of white teens in a UK park, all moving back as told but asking the police to stop being abusive and touching them, and several officers then shove, push and rugby tackle them as they run away in fear, including one girl of about 5 feet and tiny, tackled hard to the ground by a man of 6ft and built like a rugby player.
Where is the upset and anger at that? Or does that not fit the narrative?

[FOJN]

LadyofTheManners
Your post explains everything about why the looting and burning is happening and you don't even know you are part of the problem. If it's so difficult for you to understand action and reaction then I don't know if anyone can help you.

MLK advocated for peaceful protest 50 years ago and today the police are lynching black people in broad daylight; how long do you think the BAME community should persevere with peaceful protest?

How much time do you think white people need to stop behaving like fucking animals towards anyone with melanin in their skin? Why are you surprised at their anger when everything seems to point to things getting worse and not better?

[GreytExpectations]

Considering it was that city that George was murdered in the riots make sense to happen there. Why would they go to some random city to protest something that happened elsewhere? It doesn't make sense.

[TwilightPeace]

Criminals and thugs loot and burn.

Oh hi Donald!

Criminals also murder....oh wait no, they join the police.

[SoVeryLost]

@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.

Can I ask where you live? Unless its somewhere where POC are the majority I think you are being disingenuous and I wish people would stop pretending that the US is worse for racism than over in the UK.

The UK is just as racist, look at the fact BAME people were twice as likely to be fined than white people during the lockdown over here. BAME people are twice as likely to get a custodial sentence than white people in fact it's more than that if you just look at black men the figure skew down when other ethnicities are taken into account.

[FlamingoAndJohn]

As for the lady in a wheelchair. She had turned up at a branch of Target that had been already targeted by looters. She had a knife and was stabbing people.

[FlatCheese]

GreytExpectations - AFAIK they were waiting for the autopsy results before they could arrest the cop for murder (rather than something lesser). Making sure that it's done absolutely by the book will ensure that he can't slip out of it. I really, really hope he's made an example of because it's clear that he's not a "bad apple" he was acting with the authority of the badge he wore and the whole lot needs reform.

[Bigworldoutthere]

I’m happy to discuss rioters reactions in general as that’s my OP I’m interested in them in general but you only seem to want a narrow focus and if that’s the case you wont be able to explain looting/ Violence in Drumcree and other places with different reasons/participants

[Destroyedpeople]

Because they have already been looted and burnt themselves.

[Bigworldoutthere]

GreytExpectations it totally makes sense that the protests are there, totally. But why looting and burning of homes and businesses that have no contribution? Why not do that at the perceived target?

[Palegreenstars]

‘London riots due to Cregan being shot’? @LadyofTheManners do you have any clue what you are talk about?

[User8008135]

Very mature twilight

Yes and become criminals themselves when they do. As those policeman and even the emts that did nothing have. As the OP was general, i answered it. The moment someone commits crimes they are a criminal. Many criminals and thugs join protests to incite violence for their pleasure, not to protest.

And some police and criminals both have psychopathic tendencies, they choose what to do. Some become bad cops, some good criminals.

[LadyofTheManners]

@Bigworldoutthere

I’m happy to discuss rioters reactions in general as that’s my OP I’m interested in them in general but you only seem to want a narrow focus and if that’s the case you wont be able to explain looting/ Violence in Drumcree and other places with different reasons/participants

Well said OP

We can't ever dare comment on it.
We are all just meant to wait for it to happen and justify it or fear being called "part of the problem"

[LadyofTheManners]

@Palegreenstars

‘London riots due to Cregan being shot’? *@LadyofTheManners* do you have any clue what you are talk about?

Do you?

[GreytExpectations]

Why not do that at the perceived target?

As in the perceived target being the police station? You do realise that'd basically be suicide for protesters to riot and attack the police station. The alresdy risk their loves just walking down the street, they aren't to take that kind of risk.

[GreytExpectations]

Sorry typos! Already risk their lives that should say

[Bigworldoutthere]

Which makes sense, yes. Help me understand the burning of homes and shops in the area. Why is it always people living in an area get shafted by the original problem (as in Drumcree) and then by the violent actions of looters/arsonists

[chomalungma]

I don't think anyone who hasn't been in that situation or been under such circumstances in life can ever comment on rioting etc.

[Bigworldoutthere]

I agree that’s why I’m talking about general situations with common themes of damage to the areas they live in

[MuthaFunka61]

Here's video footage of a white male walking into the demo area and smashing windows with a hammer of a shop before any other looting began.

www.reddit.com/r/PublicFreakout/comments/gsgwpm/video_proof_that_the_protesters_didnt_start_the/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

If you need to clutch your pearl's you need to be looking in the right direction to see where the threat lies

[LadyofTheManners]

@GreytExpectations

Why not do that at the perceived target?

As in the perceived target being the police station? You do realise that'd basically be suicide for protesters to riot and attack the police station. The alresdy risk their loves just walking down the street, they aren't to take that kind of risk.

They didn't seem to care when they actually did burn down the police station.

And Trump doesn't help yet many African American people voted for him

[Aretheystillasleepbob]

' I wish people would stop pretending that the US is worse for racism than over in the UK.'

I have lived between the USA and UK and am in the US several times a year. The racism IS hands down far worse there than here. Of course the UK has racism issues ( just look at Brexit) but they pale in comparison.

People, ordinary seeming decent, intelligent people I know in the US are casually racist, in a 'well of course the police have to be tough, black communities are very violent', or ' Why don't they just get jobs/go to school/go to college. work hard like us and change their lives' way.' And of course the classic - 'why do they riot and destroy their own communities?'
The police are mostly white and white families believe that their brothers, sons, fathers, sister were a uniform to protect and serve and are proud of them. It's hard for them to swallow that they might be part of the problem. They haven't had their "are we the baddies?' moment. Yet.
I'm glad our police here aren't routinely armed, there would be a lot more deaths of people of colour here if they were.