This is a notably balanced article from LAT.
That is an image that, at first, and maybe lasting, blush establishes the reputation of those doing those acts as looters, not protesters.
As darkness fell on Los Angeles Saturday night, two of the city’s most famous retail strips — Melrose and Fairfax avenues — became a focus for looting and vandalism.
Dozens of looters ran into an Adidas store on Melrose and Edinburgh avenues at 9:45 p.m., running out with blue boxes of shoes. Empty shoe boxes and glass littered the sidewalk outside the store.
“It’s horrible. They need any excuse just to take something,” said Mel, a 39-year-old Compton resident who would provide only his first name.
[And there you go, a resident of Compton seeing it the same way.]
[But then]:
“Sometimes peaceful is not enough,” said Alexis Equihua, 20, who was marching along Melrose at 11 p.m., as rioters destroyed storefronts and stole goods. “I’m not one of the people vandalizing, but honestly, I get it. They feel like actions speak louder than words.”
[I understand Travon’s concern but I am damn glad White people were up front. I was glad to see the raised middle fingers of those in front of the White House in the image on the header are a paler shade of white, too. Appreciating Alexis Equihua‘s point fully, it still matters who and what the violence is directed at. If you have the cojones to commit violence, to be legitimate, your violence should be directed at those responsible for triggering the violence. The Minneapolis rioters burned down a police station. At least I get the target selection. But if you direct violence at Adidas stores or Guess stores and in other cities, then you create a (barely) rebuttable presumption that you are not protesters for whom “sometimes peaceful is not enough,” but mere “looters,” vandals, burglars, misdemeanants and felons needing “any excuse” to get goodies. The burden shifts to them for an explanation, and that itself is a grave misstep. They have much less, not no, but less, burden in Minneapolis, but the burden in Los Angeles, in Miami, in New York City will be, and properly so, oppressing. Now some, unfortunately not all, will have a chance to explain themselves in courts of law where the burden is always on the government, but merely to prove that the crime of looting, burglary, and arson was committed, and that the defendant committed the crime. It is no defense to the crime charged that you stole, broke and entered, or torched because George Floyd was murdered, and your bare explanation that “sometimes peaceful is not enough” is unavailing.]
LaTimes
That is an image that, at first, and maybe lasting, blush establishes the reputation of those doing those acts as looters, not protesters.
As darkness fell on Los Angeles Saturday night, two of the city’s most famous retail strips — Melrose and Fairfax avenues — became a focus for looting and vandalism.
[That text, too]
Several businesses on Melrose Avenue, a trendy row of design and clothing stores, were looted. One building was set on fire and burned for hours.
[And that]
Several businesses on Melrose Avenue, a trendy row of design and clothing stores, were looted. One building was set on fire and burned for hours.
[And that]
Dozens of looters ran into an Adidas store on Melrose and Edinburgh avenues at 9:45 p.m., running out with blue boxes of shoes. Empty shoe boxes and glass littered the sidewalk outside the store.
“It’s horrible. They need any excuse just to take something,” said Mel, a 39-year-old Compton resident who would provide only his first name.
[And there you go, a resident of Compton seeing it the same way.]
[But then]:
“Sometimes peaceful is not enough,” said Alexis Equihua, 20, who was marching along Melrose at 11 p.m., as rioters destroyed storefronts and stole goods. “I’m not one of the people vandalizing, but honestly, I get it. They feel like actions speak louder than words.”
[Alexis is rught, sometines peaceful is not enough]
Travon Walton, a 25-year-old student from Long Beach, arrived in the Fairfax area in the afternoon to join the protests.
He said that he saw many nonblack protesters inciting the police from up close and worries that the black community will receive the blame.
“All the white people are in the front,” he said. “We’re going to be the ones that get the backlash.”
Travon Walton, a 25-year-old student from Long Beach, arrived in the Fairfax area in the afternoon to join the protests.
He said that he saw many nonblack protesters inciting the police from up close and worries that the black community will receive the blame.
“All the white people are in the front,” he said. “We’re going to be the ones that get the backlash.”
[I understand Travon’s concern but I am damn glad White people were up front. I was glad to see the raised middle fingers of those in front of the White House in the image on the header are a paler shade of white, too. Appreciating Alexis Equihua‘s point fully, it still matters who and what the violence is directed at. If you have the cojones to commit violence, to be legitimate, your violence should be directed at those responsible for triggering the violence. The Minneapolis rioters burned down a police station. At least I get the target selection. But if you direct violence at Adidas stores or Guess stores and in other cities, then you create a (barely) rebuttable presumption that you are not protesters for whom “sometimes peaceful is not enough,” but mere “looters,” vandals, burglars, misdemeanants and felons needing “any excuse” to get goodies. The burden shifts to them for an explanation, and that itself is a grave misstep. They have much less, not no, but less, burden in Minneapolis, but the burden in Los Angeles, in Miami, in New York City will be, and properly so, oppressing. Now some, unfortunately not all, will have a chance to explain themselves in courts of law where the burden is always on the government, but merely to prove that the crime of looting, burglary, and arson was committed, and that the defendant committed the crime. It is no defense to the crime charged that you stole, broke and entered, or torched because George Floyd was murdered, and your bare explanation that “sometimes peaceful is not enough” is unavailing.]
LaTimes
