From USA Today:
“'I am sick and tired of being sick and tired': Peaceful demonstrations, looting and chanting on sixth night of George Floyd protests”
Protesters marched in the streets again Sunday across the U.S. to call for reforms after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in police custody on Memorial Day in Minneapolis. Most demonstrations, some attracting hundreds of people, were peaceful though violence, including burning of police vehicles and looting, was reported in some cities. Early in the day, volunteers turned out in many cities to sweep up debris from businesses that had been burned, had their windows broken or were otherwise damaged Saturday.
Here's a look at how protests are unfolding around the country on Sunday:
Philadelphia: Mayor Jim Kenney 'saddened and disappointed' beyond words Another day of street protests gave way to looting, with at least one police vehicle set on fire. Looters were running out of stores in the northeastern section of the city with armloads of merchandise. In the downtown, workers and volunteers swept up broken glass from windows shattered during riots the previous day. Graffiti was being removed. Mayor Jim Kenney said the mayhem “saddened and disappointed me beyond words, and I’m sure it saddened every Philadelphian who takes pride in their city.” He said those responsible “not only desecrated private businesses, they also desecrated the important message that was heard in the earlier peaceful protests.”
Chicago: Gov. JB Pritzker activates National Guardsmen to assist police. Vandalism reports continued to crop up in several city neighborhoods and some suburbs. The communities of Tinley Park, Crestwood and Oak Lawn alerted residents to stay home due to civil unrest. Many businesses boarded up. Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he activated 375 Illinois National Guard soldiers to assist local law enforcement with street closures. The downtown Chicago demonstrations that drew thousands started peacefully Saturday afternoon in a plaza, with protesters reading the names of black people who have died at the hands of police. But that gave way to violence and destruction that continued overnight Sunday in Chicago and elsewhere. Police used batons to beat back demonstrators as police cars were set ablaze and windows were smashed at businesses ranging from neighborhood convenience stores to high-end Michigan Avenue shops.
Santa Monica, California:
Unchecked Looting as marchers confront police.
Looters took advantage of a large demonstration several blocks away to
hit stores in the city's business district. In late afternoon, police were met
with resistance when they tried to end a demonstration that had been peaceful.
Demonstrators constructed a makeshift barricade in the middle of a street to
protect themselves from non-lethal rounds fired by officers. The march had
attracted hundreds along the city's main oceanfront boulevard. Though there
were many police officers present for the march, looters were able to plunder
stores with few to stop them. Cars were seen pulling up in front of stores,
with looters running in to collect bundles of clothes and other merchandise,
and running out. Boxes littered the sidewalk at thieves were seen transferring
goods into plastic trash bags. A 5:30 p.m. curfew was announced due to the
protests. The looting came despite the arrival of the National Guard troops in
neighboring Los Angeles, which had seen extensive looting, vandalism and arson
on Saturday.
Spartanburg, South Carolina: Passing motorists show support for protesters. Chanting “No justice, no peace,” about 100 peaceful protesters gathered at Barnet Park, drawing support from motorists who honked their car horns. “We want to take a peaceful stand to show support,” said organizer Kelvin Brown. “If we can all come together as a people, black and white, we can make a difference.” Many protesters said it wasn’t just Floyd’s death at the hand of a white police officer, or that it took days before the officer was arrested, that triggered anger. “We need to end the racist system,” said Curtis Pickens. “If you want all this to stop, real justice is what is needed. Stop the racial and social profiling. Stop hiring white supremacist officers.” “It’s time to stand up for what we believe in,” Isaiah Jordan said. “What happened to George Floyd terrorizes the whole nation. We’ve got to do something about it. I’m just sick and tired of young, black men dying.”
Lafayette, Louisiana: Protesters want police to know 'we're human'. Hundreds of protesters, some wearing protective face coverings, lined Lafayette streets to join a peaceful demonstration against police brutality. The protest, peaceful like others in Baton Rouge and New Orleans this weekend, began in the morning with protesters lining the streets to chant. “I am sick and tired of being sick and tired,” Lafayette NAACP President Marja Broussard said to protesters. “I have a message for law enforcement. The message is: we want you to know that we’re human just like you...We want you to know we have families. We’re human.”
Augusta, Georgia: Demonstrators chant 'No justice, no peace'. Demonstrators chanted, “No justice, no peace,” as they walked along Washington Road. While “No justice, no peace,” was a popular chant among protesters, Sunday’s peaceful march was about showing strength through peace rather than through violence, organizers said. Latoya Lovett said she asked the Street Justice Council to help her organize the marches after hearing many Augusta residents talk about going to Atlanta to join protests there, which have turned violent after peaceful starts. “You can march in your own city, you can have a voice in your own city,” Lovett said. “You don’t have to go smash windows, you don’t have to go beat people, you don’t have to drop on the police.” Demonstrators were escorted by Richmond County Sheriff’s Office deputies who blocked off roads and intersections as needed. Sheriff Richard Roundtree was among those who helped guide the marchers and ensure safety for both them and the motorists. “We believe in free speech and protesting and voicing your opinion, as long as you do it in a safe manner,” Roundtree said. “As long as you’re doing that, we’re all for it.”
Jacksonville, Florida: Peaceful rally follows violent Saturday night of protests. A peaceful demonstration was held Sunday outside the Duval County Courthouse. Then protesters started moving downtown and Jacksonville police worked to keep them in certain areas. The cleanup of smashed store windows began Sunday around Florida after a night of unrest throughout the state’s cities. Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said an unnamed deputy was either stabbed or slashed in the neck and was taken to a hospital for treatment Saturday night. A sheriff’s office spokeswoman would not comment on the deputy’s condition Sunday morning. A protest Saturday resulted in many arrests, “but we still don’t know how many or anything related to those arrests,” the sheriff said.
Cincinnati: Inwood Park rally opens with fist-up salute and song. A large crowd gathered at Inwood Park to hear speakers as a rally, followed by a march. Organizers gave instructions about what to do if they are tear-gassed. The rally started with a fist-up salute and a song about the death Sam DuBose, shot by a police officer not far from the scene of this protest in 2015. Some Cincinnati City Council members have been seen and have tweeted from the rally. The demonstrations began Friday.
^ These are only a handful of the violent protests and riots taking part across the US. I can understand people being angry about what happened (because I am too) but I can not understand how that then becomes stealing from stores, attacking innocent people, fire-bombing building and vehicles, etc. You can not clear to be peaceful and then do such violent acts. I blame all sides (from the top-down) for all of this: The Radical Left, the Radical Right, Politicians (Democrat and Republican), the Police, the President, out-of-state protesters brought in to cause problems, those fed-up with the Covid-19 restrictions and impacts on their lives, social media, regular media, etc. The list goes on and on. What those Cops did in Minneapolis is criminal and if Minnesota still had the Death Penalty I would call for it in this case – especially with the Cop who physically murdered Floyd – but what these so-called peaceful protesters and everyone else is now doing is also criminal. Inciting violence is just as bad as carrying it out. It didn’t even take 1 week for Americans on every side across the country to loose focus on what initially happened in Minneapolis and rather than deal with that issue there and nationwide it was morphed into something that will not bring any real justice or change. The initial, peaceful protests had a moral high-ground where the rest of the country and the world believed they were in the right and supported them in their efforts to end police brutality. All of that moral high-ground and support has now eroded since ordinary Americans do not want to support people who riot, steal, attack and kill. ^
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