zlacker

>>dsr12+(OP)
Timely article, but what about violent criminal activity during protests? Peaceful protests are wonderful and have been very effective throughout history. The protests we've seen for the past few days are not helping anything. Yes, people are angry at the criminal behavior of the police officer/murderer, but manifesting that anger by destroying property, looting, injuring, and threatening others, is only going to justify the use of more police violence.

>>anonym+rv
All you need to do is watch videos of protests anywhere to see cops aggressing on protestors, shooting people on their lawns, arresting and shooting reporters for major news networks on camera. When people are aggressed upon by armed security forces in other countries I'll bet most dont take the side of the people with the guns, so why now?

>>ixtli+1y
There are examples of pure looting. E.g. The Grove in Los Angeles: https://youtu.be/hpXdXLaJhKE

>>coolsp+xy
Ugly but beside the point. Why arent the police protecting these businesses, if looting is such a concern, rather than instigating peaceful protestors? Besides, these businesses are all insured; Im certain that Apple and Luxottica, some of the richest companies in the world, can write off the loss.

By contrast, nothing will bring back George Floyd, let alone the countless black people afflicted by police brutality that weren't caught on camera. With millions still unemployed and a sense that society has left so many behind, COVID in the US was a powder keg looking for a match, and a breakdown of order shouldnt really be unexpected.

>>ssalaz+eD
I'm pro-protest and pro-police-accountability-reforms, but some of your logic fails.

> Besides, these businesses are all insured

Some of them are. But having to claim on insurance is an expensive proposition that eats into profit margins (which is extra difficult in the middle of a worldwide depression).

> Im certain that Apple and Luxottica, some of the richest companies in the world, can write off the loss.

Most companies aren't multinational megacorps in high profit businesses.

I drove through South Central Los Angeles about 1 year after the Rodney King riots. I don't know what proportion of the businesses were rebuilt, but it was pretty clearly that many of the buildings hasn't been rebuilt. Large scale building damage takes a LONG time to rebuild and probably means the business can't run until it's done.

>>thephy+dG
I appreciate the counterargument. I would never advocate looting, especially of small/family businesses. The part of Los Angeles where I live has been hit hard by looting this weekend, including many small businesses, and its painful to see. I would highly prefer peaceful protesting and peaceful policing. But there is really no comparison of a line item on a multibillion dollar balance sheet--the linked video is all luxury multinationals--with peoples' actual real lives. The response of "what about the looters?" is a distraction from exactly that.