Rioting and Looting Follow Day of Peaceful Protests

Following the May 25, 2020 murder of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis, which was captured on video, major cities across the United States have seen peaceful protests for racial equality turn into violent riots.

Saturday, May 30, 2020 brought thousands of people together as protests were organized from NYC to Philadelphia to Minneapolis to Los Angeles. Many attendees held signs reading, “I can’t breathe,” “Black Lives Matter,” and “Say his name,” all symbolic of the crime that occurred 5 days earlier.

Large cities were not the only sites of organized protests; smaller cities like Tampa and La Mesa, CA hosted protests that later turned violent and destructive. La Mesa, a small city in San Diego County, was an especially surprising site for rioting. A quiet city, La Mesa residents were also outraged by the detention of a local black man on Wednesday, and are calling for police reform.

La Mesa Destroyed by Rioters

The organized protest in La Mesa began around 2 pm at the police department, but then moved onto the freeway, blocking traffic and shutting the road in both directions for hours. By 4 pm, many peaceful protestors were leaving as tensions escalated. The police station was vandalized, as were the walls of the freeway on-ramp.

By 6 pm, police began to use pepper spray and tear gas in an effort to clear the area. At 7 pm, a helicopter flew overhead and alerted the crowd that the gathering was unlawful and arrests would be made.

At 8 pm, a large blast of tear gas was deployed as a dozen additional police cars arrived on site. The parking lot of the police station was cleared, but protestors continued to taunt police. Police advanced their positions, continued using tear gas, and began firing rubber bullets.

As the evening progressed, the destruction became widespread; Chase bank, Union bank, and Bank of America were all burned to the ground. Stores were looted and fires lit across the city. Looters were still on the prowl after midnight, and a curfew was put in place starting at 1:30 am on Sunday morning.

With the peaceful protest starting at 2 pm and ending around 4 pm, the rioters and looters are believed to belong to a separate, opportunistic group taking advantage of the situation. With tensions high, lawful protestors are being used as scapegoats as criminals destroy cities already devastated by Coronavirus lockdowns.

Police State Imminent

With 5,000 National Guard troops being deployed in 15 states, curfews implemented in cities across the country, and thousands of arrests being made in a single weekend, it’s time to prepare for an impending police state. If you live in or near a city, prepare to protect yourself, your family, and your home. Expect possible police checkpoints as you travel and increased security at all businesses that are open.

Do not leave cars, garages, or doors unlocked. Bring all valuables inside and home from your businesses at night. Keep identification on you at all times and know your rights.