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?

[Palegreenstars]

@LadyofTheManners Dale Cregan is a Tameside murderer still very much living

[LadyofTheManners]

@Bigworldoutthere

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

Some of us can tell you are OP
Others meanwhile use it to continue the "all white people are racist and want to kill everyone" narrative.

[Bigworldoutthere]

Don’t the details of that but in this context that makes some sense. I just feel sorry for vulnerable members in areas where there are riots as they get doubly shafted. Flatcheese’s link was helpful though

[OceanOrchid]

Without violence from the suffragettes I wouldn't have the right to vote. Sometimes peaceful protest isn't enough.

I have never experienced racism so I can't possibly imagine what it is like. But to sit smugly and think "they're reacting wrongly to the racism they face" is white privilege at its finest. Try empathy instead.

[FlatCheese]

Well, I guess part answer to the more general question about looting is:

a) some people genuinely affected are not invested in the "local community" and have nothing to lose because those who are supposed to protect them don't, leading to people affected but not involved (local houses, businesses) being collateral damage
b) some people have shown up to deliberately start trouble (often not local)
c) "actual" targets aren't available or too dangerous to attack

[Drivingbuttercup]

The thugs are sent to stir things up so the focus shifts from the government and the protest onto the thugs, it changes the general publics perception of the people protesting. It happened to Gandhi, he was getting far to much attention than the government would have liked.

[Livelovebehappy]

I think the same. People looting and burning property belonging to someone who is a random stranger to them is a horrible thing to do. It’s just an excuse and probably a lot of the protestors don’t give a crap about what happened leading up to the protests, they’re just disenchanted about life in general and jump on the band wagon.

[ABlackRussian]

Bigworldoutthere, you're asking the same question, again and again. People have already given you their perspective on that.

[FlatCheese]

Bigworldoutthere - can't take credit for the link - that was MaeDanvers.

[Bigworldoutthere]

For the benefit of anyone joining, I’m not white. I know what it’s like to experience racism (try being Chinese atm) and my question is about in general hence Drumcree. From what I understand the Suffragists didn’t smash up their own areas they targeted government offices which makes more sense to me.

[Livelovebehappy]

And people on this thread saying what happened gives people the right to loot and burn someone’s property; really?? Yes, I get it (kind of) if they might choose to attack government or police buildings, but to just randomly attack some stranger’s property is absolutely wrong. What would you do if you were resident there and someone stole your property, and burnt down your home because they were angry at what had happened? Just shrug your shoulders and say they were right to do so?

[Bigworldoutthere]

ABlackRussian, you’re right I am because it gets derailed. So far the only insight is the MaeDanvers link which is very helpful but doesn’t explain all riot/arson situations

[FeelingTheBurn]

Because peaceful protest has been ignored for too long, I imagine.

[TwilightPeace]

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.

Why do you assume that the people burning and looting are ones that live in these communities? Why do you feel the need to say ‘young men’?

Really you have no idea who is doing the burning and looting.

[Bigworldoutthere]

Livelovebehappy exactly. Can’t seem to fever to the bottom of why it’s never government buildings only if the government is the target in a non gun toting society for example

[Stripesgalore]

I thought the protestors had damaged police stations, which seem like the relevant target.

The killing of this man is a particularly horrific crime, and apparently they had worked together previously as security guards, which makes it seem very personal.

[LouHotel]

Colin Kaepernick had been peacefully protesting for years on a national level and he was vilified for kneeling down called unpatriotic, a son of a bitch and much much worse....

If peaceful protest is ignored then that hurt, anger and pain builds up like a powder keg and then once theres a trigger it explodes.

[SimonJT]

@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.

Oh near, naughty blacks rioting in their ‘own’ area. The fact that you think black people are black and white areas is genuinely amazing. You do realise segregation is over right?

[GreytExpectations]

Op, plenty of people have answered your questions and given their own perspective. Have you not received the answer you wanted yet?

[Bigworldoutthere]

I’m going on the images shown of a selection of riots. Obviously there is always a media angle to be considered. I get why peaceful protest erupts into violence I don’t get most of the targets of that violence- that’s what I’m trying to understand.

[ABlackRussian]

If the protestors (in the US) targeted the police, or the Whitehouse, they would be shot. And it would be seen as 'justifiable'. Does that answer your question.

Why do some people join the police and end up murdering black people?

There are always going to be bad apples in every section of society. So, I'm really struggling to see what angle you are coming at?



Why do some people join protests and end up destroying other people's property?

[CaptainMarvelDanvers]

I read something yesterday that looting is like attacking the encompass, in a country where money is more valuable than human life - more people are going to sit up and take notice with rioting and looting than they are a peaceful protests.

Look at the people who took the knee, they were tore apart by the media and the president and all they did was kneel down during the national anthem.

I think it’s frustration, frustration that nothing ever changes and it is the same shit but a different day.

[ThreeIsACrowd]

If it hasn't been mentioned before, watch this from Trevor Noah.

[Bigworldoutthere]

Happy to discuss all white riots if that’s preferable Simon? Or any mix of nationalities/race. I’m try to understand why rioters make the situation worse for people they live by. The only partial answer I have is a disconnect.

[GreytExpectations]

Colin Kaepernick had been peacefully protesting for years on a national level and he was vilified for kneeling down called unpatriotic, a son of a bitch and much much worse....

@LouHotel I mentioned this too earlier and got told by the OP to start my own thread