Minneapolis small-business owners pick up the pieces after night of rage, destruction

[sarisataka]

Minneapolis small-business owners pick up the pieces after night of rage, destruction

Shattered glass, broken golf clubs and trash littered East Lake Street on Thursday morning after the destructive standoff between protesters and police, with some breaking into and setting fire to stores.

Many of these businesses, including fast-food restaurants, auto shops and banks, were ransacked by Thursday morning. The brick foundation of a Metro PCS store, the only part that remained, continued to burn as the crews dug a line in front to prevent a gas leak.

Smoke billowed from the shopping complex near Lake Street and Hiawatha Avenue, the burning smell wafting over across Lake Street. A Wendy’s restaurant smoldered; so did a building behind it, no longer recognizable.

The owners of small businesses on Lake Street, some of whom have been there for decades, emerged early Thursday morning to assess the damage. They stared out at what was left of their shops and the street with quiet disbelief.

https://m.startribune.com/minneapolis-small-business-owners-pick-up-the-pieces-after-night-of-rage-destruction/570833292/

One quote that stood out- “COVID didn’t close me, but this is going to close me.”

[global1]

1. Watching A Live Feed Of Minneapolis Last Night Here On DU - I Have These Observations....

The protest started off peaceful enough. Protesters chanting "Hands Up, I Can't Breath" and sporting signs in support of George Floyd. It was at this time I saw the police toss in tear gas, mace and rubber bullets into the mix. This seemed to incite the crowd and that's when they became more unruly.

Then it appeared that the order came down for the police to stand down. They retreated to surround their precinct building - standing behind barriers and on the roof of the building with protective gear, face shields, bullet proof vests, billy clubs and tear gas guns. There was a small group of police on bicycles that formed a line to prevent people from crossing. It didn't seem like much of a match for the size of the crowd.

The tear gas, mace and rubber bullets appeared to incite the crowd and that's when the looting first began as the night wore on and the police did nothing to minimize or stop the violence - the crowd seemed to grow bolder with more looting and fires.

I felt sorry for the police as they just stood there and take the abuse of the crowd - but was really surprised that reinforcements of police didn't show up from other precincts in Minneapolis.

I sincerely believe that much of the violent activity that occurred could have been prevented if the police would have had more of a show of force and took hold of the situation. It seemed like they just stood there and let it all unfold and let it happen.

As the night wore on - with no real action by the police - the crowd grew more unruly. What surprised me is that it was not just a crowd of people of color - there were many young white folk - male and female in the crowd as well. The crowd looked more like a crowd that gathers after the home team just won a National Championship versus a out and out riot.

Fires that were started were let burn for a considerable amount of time before any attempt was made to extinguish them. In fact - many of the fires were left to burn without any attempt to put them out - which just led to some of the people in the crowd to feed the fires with more flammable materials.

Spectators just stood around watching. It was kind of surreal.

Again - I believe if some show of force would have been exhibited by the police - they could have contained the destruction. If I were a business owner in the area I would be really upset that the police did nothing to attempt to stop the destruction. I can't hold the crowd solely responsible - because of the lack of action by the police.

These are just some of my observations of this. I made these observations by just sitting here by my computer and watching from about 7:30pm to 1:30am the live feeds being broadcast. Not being there on the scene - I know I can't get the real insight into the tenor of the crowd and my observations might be all off.

I'm curious as to others observations - either by watching like me - or actually being there in the crowd and taking it all in.

[intrepidity]

3. I was also watching, and generally concur

I started watching shortly after the fires began, so didn't see the instigating events. As much as I understand them (mostly) standing down, so as not to inflame things further, the most striking image was of them as a unified front, serving and protecting....themselves. They were guarding their precinct. Such a vivid portrayal of the thin blue line. While the world around them, literally, burns.

[sarisataka]

4. I watched several feeds from people on site

and was in communication with friends/relatives in the area.

Your summary is pretty good. The only thing I would add is the idea of the police doing a show of force. The was not possible as they did not have sufficient personnel to do so. Also such action would also have been condemned as an overreaction;there would have been injuries. They were in a position of damned if you do, damned if you don't

[regnaD kciN]

5. "more of a show of force"...?????

Maybe a little less of a show of force (tear gas and rubber bullets)? Yes, I suspect the police were trying to egg on the crowd and then stand down to let the story turn into "riot by Angry Black Males" rather than "unarmed African-American murdered by cops," but, once the initial incitement was made by the police using gas and rubber bullets, "more of a show of force" by them would only have made things much worse.

[Ani Yun Wiya]

6. It would seem

the only "show of force " required is the arrest of the four cops...

[sfstaxprep]

2. Why Bother Cleaning Up?

I expect more of the same tonight, and every night, until the officer(s) are charged.