Black Lives Matters protesters hold up signs encouraging looting writes Avery Bower of The American Spectator. He writes abridged:
In the wake of a weekend of violent looting in Chicago that resulted in downtown bridges being raised and over a hundred arrests, Black Lives Matter held a rally in support of the looters late Monday night. They organized outside the South Loop police station in downtown Chicago where the arrested looters are being held.
The riots started in Chicago Sunday after an exchange of fire between an armed black man and two officers left the 20-year-old man wounded and in police custody for attempted murder. Before he was even charged, rumors spread that the man was an unarmed teenager shot by police despite him shooting at the officers first. Looting was seemingly coordinated as a U-Haul was used to ram through store windows and cars dropped off looters by the dozens. By the end of the night, downtown Chicago was in shambles and at least 13 officers were injured.
In the wake of all this destruction, Black Lives Matter Chicago organized a rally less than 24 hours later in support of the looters and in criticism of the police department. One of the rally’s organizers, Ariel Atkins, said in reference to the looting, “That is reparations. Anything they want to take, they can take it because these businesses have insurance.” She said she didn’t care if people robbed Nike or Gucci or Macy’s because “that makes sure that person eats.”
At the rally, protesters held up a banner defending the looters that said, “Our futures have been looted from us … loot back.” Monday’s rally was not just about protesting the imprisonment of the looters but a defense of their actions as legitimate.
If you’re willing to fight for Main Street America, click here to sign up for my free weekly email.