The post Looting reported in Van Nuys amid peaceful protests appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>Dozens of Los Angeles police officers lined Van Nuys Boulevard near Victory Boulevard in Van Nuys late Monday afternoon after reports of looting in the area.
Several business owners stood outside their storefronts, with some putting up plywood over their windows. Multiple businesses hung signs reading “BLM.” At Trust Bail Bonds on Van Nuys Boulevard, a sign read: “Justice for George Floyd. #BLM”
Multiple police officers said there was looting in the area and they were trying to get a handle on where it was occurring. Media reports said the looters had broken into a cellphone store and a pharmacy.
Eva Bandikian, the manager at Kovac’s Care Pharmacy, said looters broke the lock on the business’ door and stole “everything,” including cash, the register, medicine and vitamins.
Bandikian watched the store’s surveillance feed on her phone as about 10 people stormed into the pharmacy.
“It doesn’t have anything to do with us,” she said of the looting. “They’re angry with the police and with the government.”
About two hours after the break-in, Bandikian said, one of the looters who appeared on the surveillance video walked back by the pharmacy, turned around and laughed, carrying a bag of stolen goods.
Meanwhile, several peaceful protesters remained the area. From 7:30 a.m. into the afternoon, a large group of protesters peacefully demonstrated at Van Nuys Boulevard and Sylvan Street, chanting George Floyd’s name and asking for justice.
Dozens of California Highway Patrol and LAPD officers stood side by side along Van Nuys Boulevard, some holding various types of nonlethal force, including beanbag launchers.
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]]>The post Map: See where looting at Bay Area stores took place appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>Click here if you can’t see the map on your mobile device.
Looting and vandalism was reported at stores around the Bay Area on Saturday and Sunday, resulting in the imposition of curfews in several cities. To see details on the map, zoom to the area where you want to see more detail.
Crowds of looters were reported at Walnut Creek’s Broadway Plaza; San Francisco’s Union Square also saw multiple high-end stores targeted.
A tweet reportedly urged looters to target Santana Row and Valley Fair in San Jose/Santa Clara, but police shut down those areas. The closest looting was at a CVS and a BevMo at Winchester and Stevens Creek boulevards.
Stores and shopping centers at which looting was reported:
San Francisco (Union Square area): Saks Fifth Avenue, Coach, Salvatore Ferragamo, Urban Outfitters, Swatch, Crate & Barrel, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, CVS
Walnut Creek (Broadway Plaza): Nordstrom, Neiman-Marcus, H&M, Urban Outfitters, Macy’s, Ray-Ban, Victoria’s Secret
Emeryville: Best Bay, Powell Street Center
Oakland: Fruitvale Station (GameStop, AT&T, K&G Fashion), Walgreens near Lake Merritt
Pleasant Hill: Crossroads
Hayward: CVS
San Leandro: Walmart, Bay Fair Mall, Marina Square
Union City: Union Landing
Milpitas: Neiman-Marcus (Great Mall)
Santa Clara: BevMo, CVS (Winchester/Stevens Creek)
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]]>The post Rioting, looting linked to George Floyd protests leaves trail of destruction across American cities appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>American cities are spending Monday morning digging out from scenes of destruction after demonstrations against the police-involved death of George Floyd gave way to a fifth straight night of looting and rioting, resulting in another wave of arrests.
As of Monday morning, at least 4,400 people have been taken into custody nationwide in relation to the chaos, according to an Associated Press tally. Meanwhile, countless more business owners whose livelihoods already have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic are finding their stores damaged and ransacked.
“It’s one of the most challenging times that I’ve seen in my 30 years of policing,” NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea told “Fox & Friends” on Monday after a night of looting in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood left sidewalks outside high-end retail stores littered with debris and broken glass. “I can tell you that we had thousands of police officers deployed last night.”
People run out of a broken-into smoke shop in New York City early Monday as police arrive. (AP)
FOX NEWS CREW REPORTS HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE SEEN STEALING FROM STORES IN NEW YORK CITY
“In terms of protest, in terms of balancing orderly protest, respecting people’s rights to peacefully assemble, that was going on all day, large crowds in Brooklyn, smaller crowds in Queens, significant crowds in Manhattan,” Dermot continued. “But then it turned dark, it turned ugly and it turned that way fast.”
The New York Post reports that police arrested dozens of looters in the Big Apple overnight. A witness told the newspaper that some of them acted in an apparent system where suspects would break into stores before leaping into getaway vehicles outside.
Videos on social media showed crowds targeting a wide array of businesses throughout Manhattan, emerging from shattered storefronts with everything ranging from Chanel handbags to bicycles.
The ongoing demonstrations that have gripped the U.S. and the entire world were sparked by the death of Floyd, a black man who pleaded for air as a Minneapolis officer pressed a knee into his neck. That officer – Derek Chauvin – has been charged with third-degree murder and reportedly has been transferred to a maximum-security prison.
Floyd’s death came after tensions had already flared after two white men were arrested in May for the February shooting death of black jogger Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, and the Louisville police shooting death of Breonna Taylor in her home in March.
HISTORIC MINNEAPOLIS RESTAURANT BURNED DOWN BY RIOTERS JUST DAYS BEFORE REOPENING
Despite fresh concerns about the spread of coronavirus, Americans from all walks of life have come together en masse to demonstrate against the deaths and call for the reform of police departments and the criminal justice system. While many of the gatherings have been peaceful – including some that saw officers take a knee in solidarity with protesters – others have frequently turned violent, often when late afternoon gives way to nightfall.
A Sunday afternoon of mostly peaceful protests in Boston made a turn for a worse overnight when protesters clashed with officers, throwing rocks, breaking into several stores, and lighting a police vehicle on fire.
Boston police tweeted that at least 40 people had been arrested as of 3 a.m. Monday, adding that seven police officers had been hospitalized and 21 police cruisers were damaged.
RANDOM PILES OF BRICKS REPORTED AT GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS
In Portland, Oregon, police deployed tear gas to disperse a large crowd downtown late Sunday night after authorities said projectiles were thrown at officers.
Earlier, police said protesters smashed windows at the federal courthouse, and authorities on loudspeakers declared the gathering a civil disturbance.
Demonstrators near the White House in Washington, D.C. protest the death of George Floyd on Sunday. (AP)
A protest along the historic Route 66 into downtown Albuquerque also turned violent early Monday after police reported demonstrators setting small fires and officers said they were fired upon.
Albuquerque police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos told the Associated Press that officers reported shots fired at them in front of the historic Kimo Theater after a mostly peaceful demonstration disbanded. Gallego said there was damage to several properties in the area, including broken windows and some stealing from stores – although there were no reports of injuries.
GEORGE FLOYD UNREST: RIOTS, FIRES, VIOLENCE ESCALATE IN SEVERAL MAJOR CITIES
And in Texas, police fired rubber bullets and pepper spray late Sunday night at demonstrators who gathered outside the downtown police station in Austin. Some people – in television footage of the standoff — could be seen throwing water bottles at police.
A little farther north in Dallas – one of the many U.S. cities to has instituted a curfew in hopes of quelling the unrest – police made dozens of arrests.
People clean up items outside a Jewel grocery store Monday in Chicago, after the business was broken into during unrest in reaction to the death of George Floyd. (AP)
Some Americans have even tried to get in the way of the looters, with mixed results.
A man protecting a liquor store in Chicago Sunday night was hit in the right arm by gunfire and was rushed to a hospital, where he is now said to be in good condition, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
FAMED WASHINGTON, D.C. MONUMENTS DEFACED AFTER NIGHT OF PROTESTS
In Philadelphia, local residents from a group called “Stand Up Philly” banded together to deter looters from going after a Target store.
Anthony, one of its members, told Fox29 that the locals are against what happened to Floyd, calling it “disgusting” and vowing that “it has to stop.”
“But we have to unite the city and what is happening throughout the city right now is dividing the city, it is not uniting the city,” he said. “There is no justice in robbing stores and looting your own neighborhood and burning the city down.”
Even though an estimated 16,000 National Guard troops have been mobilized to quell the rioting and looting, it’s not clear when the violence will end.
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But in the meantime, Shea is calling on all Americans to show restraint.
“I think people need to understand, when they see officers out there on the line as they’re doing now trying to keep peace, they’re doing the best they can in an extremely, extremely difficult situation,” he told ‘Fox & Friends’. “This goes across the country and they need your support.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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]]>The post Vandalism, looting in Bay Area amid George Floyd protests appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>Protesters in the Bay Area blocked freeways and vandalized stores during protests overnight against the killing of George Floyd.
Meanwhile, more than 500 were arrested after looting and vandalism swept downtown L.A.
About 1,000 protesters gathered in Oakland. They smashed windows, sprayed buildings with anti-police graffiti and were met with chemical spray from police. Authorities said officers were injured when projectiles were thrown and they were asking people to leave the area.
Two Federal Protective Service officers were wounded by gunfire, one of them fatally, outside the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the incident was related to protests that erupted several blocks away at police headquarters.
A vehicle pulled up to the U.S. courthouse at 1301 Clay St. about 9:45 p.m., and someone inside fired gunshots at the contract security officers, the FBI said in a statement.
One officer was killed and another was injured. There was no word on that officer’s condition. No arrest was reported.
The Federal Protective Service, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, oversees the protection of buildings owned or leased by the General Services Administration.
The FBI’s San Francisco field office and the Oakland Police Department were investigating the shooting.
Earlier in the night, the demonstrators blocked the 880 Freeway in Oakland.
In San Jose, protesters temporarily shut down the 101 Freeway.
Hundreds of demonstrators began marching at San Jose City Hall on Friday before running onto the 101 Freeway at Santa Clara Street. They briefly blocked freeway traffic before returning to downtown San Jose.
“One of our officers was injured and transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” San Jose Police Officer Gina Tepoorten said in an emailed statement. “We do not have all the details at this time.”
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said he understood the anger but urged peaceful protests.
“Anger and peaceful protest will always be appropriate responses to injustice; violence will never be,” Liccardo tweeted Friday afternoon. “San Jose is united in outrage over the atrocious crime committed in Minneapolis and in sadness over George Floyd’s horrible death.”
Floyd’s deadly encounter with police began Monday night in Minneapolis after Floyd, a black man, was accused of trying to use a counterfeit $20 bill at a grocery store.
Cellphone video of Floyd’s arrest outside the business shows Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, driving his knee into the 46-year-old’s neck as Floyd, pleads that he can’t breathe. After several minutes, Floyd appears to lose consciousness, and a bystander can be heard yelling that Floyd’s nose is bleeding. Even as paramedics arrive to check Floyd’s pulse, Chauvin’s knee remains positioned on the man’s neck.
Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter on Friday.
At one point, protesters captured a video of a vehicle running over several protesters. The San Jose Mercury News reported police fired on the SUV. A car was also see driving through a crowd at a rally in Bakersfield. There were also tense moments during a Sacramento rally.
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]]>The post More riots, looting prompt curfews, calls for National Guard in cities, states across US appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>Damage to police vehicles and assaults against law enforcement officers Saturday night prompted San Francisco Mayor London Breed to call for an immediate curfew until 5 a.m. local time — and to request that California National Guard personnel be placed on standby.
“What we are seeing tonight — the violence, the vandalism and the crimes being committed in our city, not against property but against other people — that is something that we will not tolerate,” Breed said, according to FOX 2 of the Bay Area.
“What we are seeing tonight — the violence, the vandalism and the crimes being committed in our city, not against property but against other people — that is something that we will not tolerate.”
— London Breed, San Francisco mayor
Across the bay in Emeryville, a popular shopping destination, looters appeared to be running rampant, smashing windows and stealing items from popular stores including Best Buy, BevMo and Urban Outfitters, according to the report.
The San Francisco Bay Area was just one of dozens of metro areas across the U.S. dealing with another night of violence and vandalism in reaction to last week’s death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.
In nearly a dozen states, governors called for the deployment of National Guard personnel as many large cities faced a third or even fourth night of destruction that included arson fires and attacks on police vehicles.
In addition, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Los Angeles County, FOX 11 reported.
NATIONAL GUARD ACTIVATED IN NEARLY A DOZEN STATES AMID UNREST OVER GEORGE FLOYD DEATH
Many cities stepped up police presence, with TV and social media showing images of rioters being hit with pepper spray or rubber bullets.
In Ohio, 70-year-old U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty was among a group of people hit with pepper spray as police looked to gain control in Columbus, the state capital.
“I’m ok. Was just trying my best to deescalate the situation,” Beatty wrote on Twitter afterward.
OHIO DEM REP, OTHER OFFICIALS PEPPER-SPRAYED DURING PROTEST IN COLUMBUS
Earlier Saturday, President Trump condemned the riots that had taken place in previous days, vowing to stop what he labeled “mob violence.”
“The memory of Floyd is being dishonored by rioters, looters, and anarchists,” Trump said, blaming “Antifa and other radical left-wing groups for terrorizing the innocent, destroying jobs, hurting businesses and burning down buildings.”
Later Saturday, presumed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden called the protests “utterly American,” while also calling for an end to “needless destruction.”
Brooklyn to Beverly Hills
Saturday’s clashes swept clear across the continent, from Brooklyn, N.Y., where at least 200 people were arrested and “countless” officers were hurt, to Beverly Hills, Calif., where shops along the famous Rodeo Drive were looted as a crowd estimated at more than 2,000 people chanted “Eat the rich!”
In Los Angeles, stores including a Whole Foods and a Target were looted by huge crowds of rioters, FOX 11 reported.
In New York City, several NYPD vehicles were seen with smashed windows or burned by fire.
One person was arrested near the 79 Precinct with loaded .380 semi-automatic pistol.
Two women were reportedly arrested for throwing a Molotov cocktail at an NYPD van that had four officers inside.
Thirty-seven patrol cars have been vandalized so far, according to reports.
National Guard arrives
In Utah, the National Guard arrived in Salt Lake City after protests turned violent.
Police vehicles were targeted and set on fire Saturday, prompting Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, to call for an 8 p.m. curfew that will last until 6 a.m. Monday.
Police forces appeared overly rough with an elderly man watching the protests, and knocked him to the ground.
Only minor injuries were reported for police and protesters.
In Atlanta, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms established a curfew starting at 9 p.m. Saturday following Friday night’s violent protests.
An Atlanta Police Department vehicle burns during a demonstration against police violence, Friday, May 29, 2020 in Atlanta. The protest started peacefully earlier in the day before demonstrators clashed with police. (Associated Press)
The protests continued Saturday and police arrested demonstrators who were blocking traffic.
Security officials surrounded Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s house as crowds of protesters gathered near the mansion. A brick was reportedly thrown at one of the police officers.
Mayor Bottoms denounced the riots at a Saturday news conference.
“When you run it down the street with a Gucci bag, that’s not about black people dying in America,” she said. “That’s about killing ourselves when we do things like that.”
“When you run it down the street with a Gucci bag, that’s not about black people dying in America. That’s about killing ourselves when we do things like that.”
— Keisha Lance Bottoms, Atlanta mayor
In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced a curfew for Saturday night after 500 people were arrested and five police officers were hurt as protests turned violent.
People hold signs and shout behind a burning police vehicle in Los Angeles, Saturday, May 30, 2020, during a protest over the death of George Floyd. (Associated Press)
The curfew for downtown Los Angeles was in effect from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.
At least two patrol vehicles were set on fire.
In Philadelphia, Mayor Jim Kenney implemented a mandatory citywide curfew starting at 8 p.m. and lasting until 6 a.m. as protests turned violent Saturday.
Multiple police vehicles were reportedly set on fire after protesters and police officers clashed.
A vehicle is on fire behind a protester holding a sign during a rally on Saturday, May 30, 2020, in Philadelphia, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after being taken into police custody in Minneapolis. (Associated Press)
Buildings were seen vandalized and mass looting broke out Saturday afternoon.
FOX NEWS CREW CHASED, ATTACKED BY ANGRY MOB WHILE REPORTING ON PROTESTS OUTSIDE WHITE HOUSE
The protest started peacefully in front of City Hall as hundreds of people knelt in silence in honor of George Floyd.
“We appreciate their voice and their manner of expression. However, since that time, others have convened in Center City and are committing criminal acts, including vandalism. Those acts will not be tolerated,” the Philadelphia Police Department tweeted.
About 3,000 demonstrators took to the streets in Chicago on Saturday, filling the streets and climbing on cars and buses.
Police and protesters clashed in front of the Trump International Hotel and Tower after police with helmets and batons pushed demonstrators out of the way so a police car could get through.
Bottles and fireworks were reportedly thrown at police officers in front of the hotel.
Video posted to Twitter showed what appeared to be Chicago police officers being swarmed, hit and dragged by protesters.
In Chicago, 108 people were reportedly arrested, but no serious injuries were reported.
But police responded to more than a dozen “police emergencies” as they tried to control the crowds.
In Washington, protesters again converged outside the White House, with some climbing on top of Secret Service cars and pushing security barricades further down Pennsylvania Avenue.
A demonstrator is injured as people protest the death of George Floyd, Saturday, May 30, 2020, near the White House in Washington. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. (Associated Press)
POLICE CHIEFS ACROSS US CONDEMN OFFICERS INVOLVED IN GEORGE FLOYD DEATH
President Trump had praised the Secret Service’s action Friday night by saying the protesters would “…have been greeted with the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons,” had they crossed the White House fence. But Trump criticized D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for not letting D.C. police get involved, quoting her as saying “not their job.”
Bowser fired back, first calling Trump’s comments “gross” and saying his reference to attack dogs ignited the worst memories in America’s fight against segregation.
“We are grieving hundreds of years of institutional racism,” Bowser said. “People are tired, sad, angry and desperate for change.”
PROTESTS DEMANDING JUSTICE FOR GEORGE FLOYD RAMP UP AGAIN NATIONWIDE
Bowser, who was joined by D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham, also said that Trump’s claims regarding the D.C. police were false.
D.C. police were present, along with U.S. Park Police, Friday night and were ready to help Secret Service in Layfette Park, the area where protestors gathered in front of the White House, as they have done in the past.
Close to 300 protesters were reportedly arrested in New York City between Thursday and Friday night, and demonstrators continued to protest through Saturday.
New Yorkers also mourned the death of Eric Garner, who died from an NYPD officer’s chokehold in 2014 by attending a rally the Rev. Al Sharpton hosted.
The crowd chanted “I can’t breathe,” which were the last words Garner reportedly said — but also one of the last statements said by Floyd before he was killed by a Minneapolis police officer.
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Trump has responded to the nationwide protests by blaming liberal leaders and threatening use of the military involvement.
In a tweet Saturday, he said: “Liberal Governors and Mayors must get MUCH tougher or the Federal Government will step in and do what has to be done, and that includes using the unlimited power of our Military.”
Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this story.
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]]>The post “When the looting starts, the shooting starts”: The racist history of Trump’s tweet appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>On Friday afternoon, President Donald Trump attempted to backtrack on a tweet that appeared to threaten violence against black Americans protesting the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Earlier in the day, Trump insinuated that he would bring in the military to quell any violence or looting if the situation wasn’t brought under control by Minnesota’s Democratic Gov. Tim Walz soon. “When the looting starts, the shooting starts,” the president tweeted Friday.
Twitter flagged the tweet for violating its rules against inciting violence.
About 13 hours later, Trump tried to walk back the phrase on Twitter by claiming he meant that when looting starts, people end up getting shot. “Looting leads to shooting, and that’s why a man was shot and killed in Minneapolis on Wednesday night – or look at what just happened in Louisville with 7 people shot,” he tweeted.
….It was spoken as a fact, not as a statement. It’s very simple, nobody should have any problem with this other than the haters, and those looking to cause trouble on social media. Honor the memory of George Floyd!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020
Trump tried to brush off those criticizing his use of the phrase as “haters” who are “looking to cause trouble.” Notably, he did not try to walk back the use of the slur “thugs” in the same tweet.
This change of course — and refusal to admit such change — is an attempt by the president to gaslight the American public. Nowhere in his original tweets did he mention anyone getting shot. He also threatened to bring in the military to get the uprising under control.
The phrase, as many people on Twitter noted Friday, has racist origins dating back to the civil rights era. It was first said by then-Miami police chief Walter Headley in a December 1967 press conference announcing a new, tougher policy for policing the city’s black neighborhoods.
1/ This line in Trump’s tweet: “when the looting starts, the shooting starts”… is a quote from Miami Police Chief Walter Headley
In Dec 1967, months before riots at GOP Convention in Miami, Headley used that quote to announce “get tough” policy for policing black neighborhoods
— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) May 29, 2020
“This is a war,” Headley said at the press conference in response to a recent rise in crime in the city. “We have the weapons to defeat crime. Not to use them is a crime in itself.”
Headley put in place an oppressive police regime, which included what we now call “stop and frisk” policies, extensive officer use of shotguns, and police dogs. “We don’t mind being accused of police brutality,” he was quoted as saying in the New York Times at the time. “They haven’t seen anything yet”
The brutal new tactics did initially result in a drop in crime, so much so that they were favorably cited in a House Select Committee report on Martin Luther King Jr.’s death (a portion of which blamed King for his own murder) in 1978.
But resentment over the oppressive police policy led to riots in the city after King’s death, and again in 1980 after a black man, Arthur McDuffie, was beaten into a coma by a white Dade County police officer.
Though Healey is often given credit for the phrase, professor Clarence Lusane of Howard University told WBUR that the phrase may have first been said by Eugene “Bull” Connor, a segregationist public safety commissioner in Birmingham, Alabama, who ordered the use of police dogs and fire hoses against black protesters.
Segregationist former Alabama governor and presidential candidate George Wallace also reportedly used the phrase.
Trump has a history of such tactics; several weeks ago, he claimed his comments about injecting disinfectant to kill Covid-19 were “sarcasm.” At a news conference in 2019, he lied so often — about everything from Labor Secretary Alex Acosta’s involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein case to whether Article II of the US Constitution gives him unlimited power — that Vox’s Aaron Rupar called it a “master class in gaslighting.”
This is the same president who flipped back and forth about white supremacist marchers in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, saying there were “very fine people” among both the marchers and the counterprotesters.
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