Activism
Riots & Looting Spell More Woes for Local Businesses
U.S. small, local businesses are struggling to make a comeback. This comes as government lockdown orders forced many to shut down entirely for months. Trying to keep their business afloat in a post-pandemic world was hard enough. But now, the recent protests surrounding the death of an African American man in police custody have created even more difficulties for business owners in many cities.
Demonstrations began last week after a George Floyd, a black man, died in police custody in Minneapolis, MN. A video recording showed a police officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck while Floyd repeatedly said he could not breathe. An initial report from a local medical examiner found that Floyd’s death did not result from asphyxiation, but a second report released yesterday officially ruled his death as a homicide. The officer seen in the video lost his job. The authorities also charged him of murder and homicide. The other officers involved in the arrest also lost their jobs. However, widespread violence and looting continue to plague many US cities.
Police are stretched thin. Most of them now need to focus their attention on larger establishments and critical infrastructure. Unfortunately, smaller businesses are usually lower on the priority list than their larger corporate counterparts. Many businesses are already on their last leg thanks to government restrictions and the riots could be the final nail in the coffin for many.
Effects on Local Businesses
AG Bill Barr:
“In many places, it appears the violence is planned, organized & driven by anarchtic left extremist groups—far left extremist groups using Antifa-like tactics.”pic.twitter.com/VFlIHg54nk
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 30, 2020
Protests recently turned violent in Boston, and many business owners have returned to find their shops emptied and destroyed. Maher Najjar is the owner of Sneaker Junkies, a sneaker store in Boston that was target by looters. He described his ordeal to Fox Business Monday. “They looted the whole store, everything was destroyed,” he said. The looters ravaged the shop and stole thousands of dollars worth of sneakers and other merchandise. Rioters also targeted several other businesses in the area.
Some business owners tried to reason with the rioters by hanging signs proclaiming their support for the protestors. Others identified themselves as minority-owned businesses in hopes that the racially-charged crowds would spare them. However, some instances prove the infectivity of those tactics. Additionally, many still vandalized and looted minority and black-owned businesses.
Magnet for Anarchy
The protests have also become a magnet for anarchist groups and far-left extremists. A tweet from ‘ANTIFA America’ encouraged demonstrators to target residential areas and “take what’s ours”. The NYPD has also reported that anarchist agitators have played a major role in stirring up unrest in the city. On Saturday, Attorney General William Barr said, “In many places, it appears the violence is planned, organized, and driven by far-left extremist groups and anarchic groups using Antifa-like tactics.”
Repercussions
The pandemic hit brick-and-mortar retailers harder than almost any other sector of the economy, and now these same businesses are the ones bearing the brunt of the social unrest. Sadly, there will be no coming back for many businesses, and some will undoubtedly close down for good.
Protests are as American as apple pie, but victimizing innocent people with violence or theft cannot be justified in any circumstances. Right-minded people pushing for social change make up the vast majority of protestors, and people should applaud them for their pursuit of justice. However, that’s no reason to spare condemnation for the criminal elements of the demonstrations. People must see looting privately-owned businesses as absolutely unacceptable and should treat it as such under any circumstances.
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9 Comments
Indeed. Looking for work in 2009, I noticed a let from an un-named organization looking to train professional organizers and “protesters” under the guise (as I see it now) of wanting to make a difference in changing society. The sorry part is that they are paid with federal dollars. Ask Obama.
Looters are just thiefs want everything just given to them, no work no pay. Their parents should have taught them better not just given them what they wanted. That’s where social/democrats and the left just plain messed up No consequences for bad behavior , just time outs. Ask them if they had a swat on their butts for miss behaving ,I can you they were.
Well said!
Enough is enough. Go to work and earn money. You people cried over being locked down due to the virus, now you’re free to work. Stop the madness.
They should protest about total change I know the police system is corrupt and doesn’t give justice to other races only the whites and sometimes not even the whites only those well known with money and power they should protest for a total change just a few months we were force to stay home because of the virus and for us poor people things got very hard because we had to figure out how to make a come back it’s not easy for the poor we are constantly lie to and we just keep taking the punches as they come because we are so uneducated that they choose words with double meaning and easily trick us with nothing but lies protest yes but for a total change like better living conditions more affordable life.
Glad to see poor folks like Martha still have money for cellphones.
This is not protesting by any means! ITS INSURRECTION! Which makes this group not protected by the constitution and should be treated as traitors and treasoners to our country! DNC, Warren Buffet, Bill Gate ans Hollywood should be targeted as traiotrs and treasoners since they support and funding thisbehavior.
Trump needs to call upon the military, militia, and the sherriffs to locking them up for treason and those funding them or else we are gonna lose our country and all the BILL OF RIGHTS/CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS that go with it!
Free thinking which leads to free behavior is a choice that few exercise today. Most follow the for profit commercials, propaganda promoting news shows and entertainment programming all better known to the higher ups as social engineering. I’m very fortunate as I became aware of and rebelled against television programming as a young woman in the late 70’s and have rarely owned a television. However to my own detriment I allowed myself a smart phone for business and personal use. Since then, to my surprise, I recently identified it as the main source of decline in several areas. What is the remedy? Trade in for a landline? How do I view long distance relatives? On the computer? What of mapping or communication on long distance trips? Do I purchase a camera again? I’ve become reliant and tracked.
Again free thinking leads to free behavior. Are you choosing or are you blindly following along gobbling up their group think?
But we had no problems in Lake Charles, protests were PEACEFUL and well received.