Downtown Chicago Hit by Highly Organized Looting with Support by BLM

Aug. 11, 2020 (EIRNS)—The banner displayed at a Black Lives Matter rally on Monday, Aug. 10, in defense of 100 or so arrested for looting early Sunday morning endorses rampage: “Our Futures Have Been Looted from Us... Loot Back.” One speaker there termed looting “reparations,” justifying burglary on the grounds that “anything they wanted to take, they can take it because these businesses have insurance.”

Claims that the looting was triggered by a police shooting incident on the South Side are bogus. Police answered a call about a man walking around with a gun in the neighborhood, and found a 20-year-old black man matching the description, who fired at them and was wounded when they shot back. (The wounded suspect was wanted on charges of domestic battery and child endangerment.) That shooting, which took place around 2:45 p.m., did lead to a tense confrontation between police and some 30 people from the community when “the word” went out claiming that police had shot a child. But messages immediately went out on social media for people to head to downtown Chicago, Chicago’s police chief reported. The looting started much later, around midnight and was not brought under control by police until 4 a.m. Some 1,000 people are said to have been involved in ransacking “big name” stores—Nordstroms, Macy’s, Coach, Gucci, Walgreens. Numerous reports that some looters were not only carrying off merchandise in bags, but loading up large vehicles, including at least one rented U-Haul van, speak to the organized, pre-planned nature of the operation.

More than 100 people were arrested, 13 policemen were injured, and 2 people were shot in this early-morning rampage.

Police Chief David Brown is promising that video footage will be reviewed closely, and more arrests and prosecutions must follow. “This was not an organized protest. Rather, this was an incident of pure criminality. This was an act of violence against our police officers and against our city. I, for one, refuse to allow these cowardly acts to hold our city hostage.”

Mayor Lori Lightfoot, while talking tough against the looting, immediately warned President Donald Trump to not send “federal troops in Chicago, period, full stop.” She insists that gun control is what’s needed!