REI/Santa Monica got looted

chimpanzee

chimpanzee

Member
Video of looters in Santa Monica came over KCBS2 just now. Awful.

Camera positioned outside REI. 1 guy got a Cannondale Lefty 29'er, other guy got a hybrid. 3rd guy got a road bike. Some guy walked out with surfboard, hopped on motorbike (accomplice driving)..sped away

REI.jpg
 
During the '92 roots I was a bike messenger in DTLA. I left downtown when they started burning cop cars. I rode through 7 miles of riot to get to my apartment in Hollywood.
No one was home.
Then several minutes later, a commotion, the door opens, and my brother and our roommate come in carrying several cases of beer.
"They're looting the liquor store!"
You're looting the liquor store!
Pass me a beer.
 
Wait..::.so you are all telling me that protesting means breaking into business and stealing sh!t....makes me feel more and more sorry for the minorities that are claiming they don’t have a voice. Their voice is loud and clear....theft and destruction. Way to take 1 step forward and 5 steps back.
 
You can see the looting crews in the videos. They come in small gangs, almost always wearing black hoodies, masks, and backpacks.
They don't waste time throwing rocks at windows, they smash them with hammers. The next guy busts out the lock cutters and it's on.
Particularly successful crews will fill waiting vehicles with merchandise and escape.
I watch them.totally gut a Hello Kitty store on Melrose, c'mon man, Hello Kitty
The cops are like 2 blocks away trying to figure out how to enforce the curfew.
 
“Certain conditions continue to exist in our society, which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots. But in the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it that America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the Negro poor has worsened over the last few years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice, equality and humanity. And so in a real sense our nation’s summers of riots are caused by our nation’s winters of delay. And as long as America postpones justice, we stand in the position of having these recurrences of violence and riots over and over again. Social justice and progress are the absolute guarantors of riot prevention”- Dr. Martin Luther King
 
mtnbikej said:
Wait..::.so you are all telling me that protesting means breaking into business and stealing sh!t....makes me feel more and more sorry for the minorities that are claiming they don’t have a voice. Their voice is loud and clear....theft and destruction. Way to take 1 step forward and 5 steps back.
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Pretty sure the looters are a different group entirely from the people who are there to protest. Looters are just there to cause havoc and loot.
 
Derkderkall said:
“Certain conditions continue to exist in our society, which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots. But in the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it that America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the Negro poor has worsened over the last few years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice, equality and humanity. And so in a real sense our nation’s summers of riots are caused by our nation’s winters of delay. And as long as America postpones justice, we stand in the position of having these recurrences of violence and riots over and over again. Social justice and progress are the absolute guarantors of riot prevention”- Dr. Martin Luther King
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Sad that this still rings true.
But what is to be expected when 2 years of kneeling in protest was disrespectful and inappropriate.
When the response to Black Lives mattered is answered with Blue/All Lives matter
99 years after the bombing of Black Wallstreet systematic oppression continues limiting resources

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
-Maya Angelou, “Caged Bird”
 
I wouldn't equate smashing a window and grabbing some overpriced shoes with something like the unnamed individual who shot up a black church in 2015 (one of maaaany examples)

He got the death penalty correct? Not even labeled a terrorist. ...... Funny.... Another strand of the fabric we can follow to current events....
 
mtnbikej said:
Oh, I get exactly what’s going on. My point is their voice is being undermined by the same group that just wants to be criminals.
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Uhh...

mtnbikej said:
Wait..::.so you are all telling me that protesting means breaking into business and stealing sh!t....makes me feel more and more sorry for the minorities that are claiming they don’t have a voice. Their voice is loud and clear....theft and destruction. Way to take 1 step forward and 5 steps back.
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I saw that happening on TV. It sucks. I hate what I saw. Thank goodness it didn’t come to Pasadena.

I support good cops that want to protect communities. I don’t support evil cops that hurt and kill because they can.

I support the BLM movement and their desire and goal for institutional change. As a minority I can relate to what they’re going through. I DO NOT SUPPORT looters, rioters, thieves, fire starters, instigators, and people that throw bricks at police officer heads.

My worthless 1 cent.
 
Another failure of leadership.

Martin Luther King taught how to peacefully protest and how to be highly effective without stooping to senseless violence. I don’t think the marginalized populations have that leadership among them right now.

The looters are nasty opportunists who at best justify their actions with twisted logic of “I deserve this stuff and they deserve to be vandalized and looted...”
 
herzalot said:
Another failure of leadership.

Martin Luther King taught how to peacefully protest and how to be highly effective without stooping to senseless violence. I don’t think the marginalized populations have that leadership among them right now.

The looters are nasty opportunists who at best justify their actions with twisted logic of “I deserve this stuff and they deserve to be vandalized and looted...”
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Right! I think what would have been if the Black Panther Party wasn't dismantled by the CIA. We would have civil rights leaders front and center to spearhead things like this. Instead theses cultural figureheads are silenced. Instead the platforms are given to musicians and athletes and those are our only community leaders and role models of any notoriety.

Meanwhile, the KKK is permitted to have trademarks, active chapters all through the nation, and is silently embraced to allow their agenda to move forward.
 
I think it is also important to remember that, yes, there are those there to cause trouble. As discussed there is also a lack of leadership. We have huge numbers of folks who are frustrated with many different issues, any who are were angry, and already at the tipping point. Unfortunately with no focus of that energy, this can be one of the results.

Keep in mind, we are seeing only small fraction of the thousands and millions locally and worldwide. just to the left or right of the focal point of the news choppers, that are uniting in solidarity to push and demand change.

So, who here is going to step up, get off their keyboard and provide that leadership....?
 
The police chief of Flint, Michigan took off his helmet and told the protestors "Let's turn this protest into a parade!"
LAPD chief Moore did a primetime interview in full riot gear.
Hmmmm
Dress for the riot you want, not the protest they brought.
 
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evdog said:
Pretty sure the looters are a different group entirely from the people who are there to protest. Looters are just there to cause havoc and loot.
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Yup! I was downtown at my office Saturday afternoon, the protestors were peaceful; families, activists from community groups, and Anarchist groups as well. Very strong police presence, I did have to show my critical worker ID.

Yesterday evening my good friend who is a photographer went downtown to shoot and got pulled over without credentials; he got cuffed and had his car towed. They processed him and let him go at twin towers about three hrs. later and he walked home to El Sereno.
He told me this morning that the evening protestors seem to be mostly people out to blow-off steam or cause damage. He did say there were very few protestors out downtown but an overwhelming police presence.
 
rossage said:
The police chief of Flint, Michigan took off his helmet and told the protestors "Let's turn this protest into a parade!"
LAPD chief Moore did a primetime interview in full riot gear.
Hmmmm
Dress for the riot you want, not the protest they brought.
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Of course our Chief is going to be over prepared. This is a Liberal state. Everything is more dangerous and more risky here. :facepalm:

For example, everything in Cali causes cancer. You see it posted everywhere here. But you cross the state lines into the next state and those warnings disappear. :rolleyes:
 
Derkderkall said:
So, who here is going to step up, get off their keyboard and provide that leadership....?
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My career offers me the opportunity to lead everyday. I hope I am doing some good. I'll never really know for sure.

I'm pretty sure I couldn't be much of an effective leader for any marginalized group, given my background.

Unless that marginalized group is the 27.5" wheeled bike lovers that have been pushed out of the market by - or forced to join - the oppressive wagon wheelers and their corporate power structure!
 
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As y'all continue this conversation, I would like to respectfully encourage everyone to not think in absolutes. If 10,000 people are marching peacefully and 1,000 start rioting, that means 90% of the people out there are following in the steps of King, Chavez, and Parks.
Likewise if 10% of cops are misusing their authority, then 90% are doing their best to do their job and to protect and serve. I believe it's smaller than 10% in either of those example, but it's a good place to start.

Condemn lawbreaking loudly, but condemn injustice louder.
 
herzalot said:
My career offers me the opportunity to lead everyday. I hope I am doing some good. I'll never really know for sure.

I'm pretty sure I couldn't be much of an effective leader for any marginalized group, given my background.

Unless that marginalized group is the 27.5" wheeled bike lovers that have been pushed out of the market or forced to join them by the oppressive wagon wheelers and their corporate power structure!
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Thank you for the levity. Great post!
 
Cyclotourist said:
As y'all continue this conversation, I would like to respectfully encourage everyone to not think in absolutes. If 10,000 people are marching peacefully and 1,000 start rioting, that means 90% of the people out there are following in the steps of King,
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Tens of thousands of good people NOT ONE or 0% turned in the pond scums ruining peoples lives. Coincidence ???
 
Cyclotourist said:
As y'all continue this conversation, I would like to respectfully encourage everyone to not think in absolutes. If 10,000 people are marching peacefully and 1,000 start rioting, that means 90% of the people out there are following in the steps of King, Chavez, and Parks.
Likewise if 10% of cops are misusing their authority, then 90% are doing their best to do their job and to protect and serve. I believe it's smaller than 10% in either of those example, but it's a good place to start.

Condemn lawbreaking loudly, but condemn injustice louder.
Click to expand...
This, a million times over. Binary thinking is so easy, because you don't really have to think. Dem/Repub, stay home/open up, cops/minorities, the list is endless. Draw a line in the sand and then just emote about it. It seems to be our default setting, even though the truth, answers, and progress invariably lie in the nuance.
 
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