PEACEFUL PROTESTS HIJACKED

I hardly know what to write since describing the relaxation of some Covid-19 virus restrictions in Los Angeles County where I live was among the items of my expected focus.  I intended to note I thought this re-opening businesses might be premature – that I expected to continue to observe “staying at home”, wearing my mask when I do go out only to drive-thrus or for pickups. 

Who knows now how the protest events of this weekend you probably have heard about will impact the virus spread.   Maybe the infection will primarily be spread among the criminal element.  We’ll see when the infection rate surfaces in a couple weeks after the incubation period.    

Across the U.S. there have been peaceful but angry protests over the death of an unarmed black man George Floyd at the hands of a white policeman in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Three other officers stood by as the victim was saying “I can’t breathe”.   

These erupting protests have descended into violence, rioting and looting in at least 30 U.S. cities. Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Ana, Portland, Miami, New York City, Washington D.C.,  Atlanta, Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Denver, Salt Lake City, Nashville among others with some having instituted curfews earlier, bracing for unrest.

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An NBC-TV News reporter said he was told an L.A. protest march was initiated by a 17-year-old
with the aid and support of his parents, including their plan to hand out water bottles, to peacefully bring attention to the death of George Floyd.  As the protest proceeded increasing groups joined their march which was also infiltrated by some motivated by other than peace who eventually subsumed the peaceful element.   

Professor Erroll Southers, a former FBI Agent interviewed on NBC-TV, described how extremist organizations have been reported to leverage Covid-19 to recruit others to their cause and into criminal acts just as they also use protest marches to incite civil violence.   

Los Angeles County Sheriff  Alex Villanueva describes them as “professional anarchists” – starting fires, vandalizing, creating havoc.  There are also the garden variety hoodlums, criminals and opportunists ready to create or take advantage of any situation.  Hundreds can be arrested though most are released the next day with only misdemeanor charges.  A few hard criminals are retained with felony charges, some including arson, burglary, vandalism.

The extremists often are the ones who may actually initiate breaking businesses windows and doors, then stepping back as the crowd mentality prompts others to invade the premises to steal all they can carry.  I feel so sorry for the violated businesses, most especially the small business owners who are struggling through the virus lock-down and some who were readying to open on a limited basis beginning today. 

TV news covered events as they were happening in Los Angeles Saturday – people scurrying in and out of businesses with their loot which they loaded into curbside cars, setting fires, some instances of throwing rocks other items at police.   There was an attempt to break into CBS studios which was finally thwarted by closing the gate.

LAPD and the Fire Department were stretched thin with over 1500 calls for firefighters.  Officers had to be assigned to accompany firefighters to ensure their safety.  Friday firefighters had one of their fire hoses put into the fire by the criminal element as attempts to extinguish a fire were being made.   

L.A. Mayor Garcetti’s ultimate request to California Governor Nusom resulted in a State of Emergency in Los Angeles being declared with a thousand National Guardspersons arriving Saturday at midnight.   A city-wide curfew was declared from 8 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. this Sunday morning.  Anyone out is subject to arrest as a misdemeanor.

The concentration of TV news on Los Angeles events caused me to wonder what was happening in the multitude of surrounding L.A. county cities.  The decline of press and media available through local newspapers and especially free radio stations news shows can make citizens less informed about immediate events in their community.   I was able to find an area newspaper, Daily Bulletin, which has developed a website to carry timely local news, reporting protests that have been occurring nearby where I live. 

There was some reason for my concern since one of my town’s next-door city neighbors east of Los Angeles has often had some worrisome activities in year’s past before we moved here when there was a riot in L.A.    Years later there was an event causing significant unrest in response to a trial acquitting white officers of beating a black man stopped for arrest, Rodney King, who later made a simple plea in a press conference apropos today.

The neighbor city did, indeed, have a protest march involving 250 people organized by three high school students.  They reported people were reluctant to become involved because of violence that had erupted in other cities but said they were trying to make it safe as possible which it was for several hours.  

They did march north closer to our city but were blocked by the California Highway Patrol from entering a major freeway.  However, in the evening 40 marchers went south on to another freeway slowing traffic but followed by law enforcement that halted traffic behind them.  The marchers finally left the freeway and dispersed.  

As serious as this situation is let’s not give a true protest a bad name in the memory of George Floyd.   Let’s not allow the criminal actions of some across this country to end our right to have peaceful protests.

There are limits as to what more law and order can achieve though some will press for that alone.  Tougher laws are not and have not been the solution.  The issues that precipitate inequality in our great nation must be strongly addressed in addition to ensuring our safety if we genuinely desire to resolve these issues.