What I Saw from the Midst of the Looting in Santa Monica
I was in Santa Monica that afternoon, on my way to the protests when a caravan of luxury vehicles brimming with passengers arrived on the scene, leaving a strong scent of cannabis in their wake. Instead of heading towards Ocean Avenue, I followed them, believing that something was about to go down. For the next two hours I watched, then filmed, as they surrounded one store after another. There was no pretext of politics to their activities and they certainly weren’t there to protest. Instead, what I witnessed was a well-planned organized heist that used the protestors as a shield and a diversion for their own nefarious purposes.
<snip>
The following is my account of what I saw on Sunday: a view from one block, on one street, in one city, engulfed by unrest and grief.
2:14 p.m. – Arrival
Walking up Fourth Street toward Broadway, I first hear the boom of tear gas canisters being fired. It’s far enough away that there is no smoke. Tiny explosions reverberate through downtown Santa Monica, an ominous welcome to the neighborhood. On Twitter, I read that a small group of protesters has broken away from Ocean Avenue and is making its way to Third Street Promenade. The police, hoping to prevent a repeat of what happened the night before on Fairfax, stands alert.
2:26 p.m. – Vans Store
I first see the familiar red and black boxes strewn in piles outside the smashed storefront. A young woman looking for some checkerboard slip-ons shouts, “Get me a size 11!” Two young men drag one of their friends inside the store, exhorting him to “Get a new board.” It’s a strange sensation to watch a store being looted in broad daylight. The sense of lawlessness creates a weird tear in reality where I feel slightly outside myself, like I’m watching all of this happen in a dream, asking myself and others, “Is this really happening?” But it is real. And the looters come streaming out of the store pushing hand trucks piled high with shoes and clothing. They carry boxes on top of boxes, their arms stuffed to capacity. A woman standing next to the entrance shouts, “Please stop, you’re going to get Trump reelected.” Instead, they leave with backpacks and skateboards and hoodies. The store is quickly picked clean.
<snip>
The scope of the afternoon’s looting only began to sink in after I left the scene. As I walked out of the commercial district and towards my car, the damage was shocking. Store after store had been vandalized and emptied. Now local business owners and neighbors are left to pick up the pieces. Many express solidarity with the protestors, but say they feel abandoned by the SMPD.
In the next few days, as the enormous breadth of the looting became apparent, Andrew Kirschner, chef and owner of Tar and Roses, told Eater, “Santa Monica was targeted. I kept telling myself throughout the coronavirus that Santa Monica was safe. It’s been a ghost town the past few months, why would I need to board up the place and protect it? But I’ll say this: The outpouring of community support is really amazing. Hundreds of people in the streets with brooms, cleaning up, removing graffiti. You do see how the community can rally together.”
The police response to Sunday’s looting has been roundly criticized. “This was a tactical failure on the part of the SMPD,” says Eric Preven, a local activist and former city council candidate. “They were wrongly focused on arresting peaceful protestors while the looters were left to go about their business.” Reached for comment by Los Angeles, a member of SMPD had no official response to the issues raised in this article as they were unauthorized to speak to the press. They did agree to speak on background and offered the following assessment. “These are gang members,” he said based on information ascertained from suspect interrogations and arrestee reports. “They’re highly organized and deadly serious and are using social media to decide where and what to hit.”
https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/santa-monica-looting-essay/
= new reply since forum marked as read
January, on a Sunday for a family reunion, from all over the Mainland. We had such a peaceful day celebrating my sister's life.
I hate that these Looters, who disguise themselves as Protestors, are tearing up the cities & businesses.
