The banner displayed at a Black Lives Matter rally on Monday, Aug. 10, in defense of the more than 100 arrested for looting early Sunday morning endorses rampage: “Our Futures Have Been Looted from Us… Loot Back.” One speaker there was cited calling looting “reparations,” justifying robbery 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, found a 20-year-old black man matching the description, who was wounded when they shot back after he shot at them. (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 just carrying merchandise off 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 two people were shot in this early-morning rampage.
Police Chief David Brown is promising 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 gun control is what is needed!
