What is the message from those who vandalize, set fires, and loot hope to impart?

[still_one]

[BamaRefugee]

1. The British asked the same question about our fabled Tea Party 200+ years ago.

[ripcord]

4. I don't understand how people can compare a focused protest to general destruction and theft

The people who are destroying don't care if the places they are burning support them or not, it is just senseless.

[BamaRefugee]

7. The British considered the Tea Party destruction and theft.

It seems to have been an important link in an epic chain of events that led to the birth of the USA.

Stonewall was seen as senseless destruction.

Berlin Wall much?

Lots of others.

[sarisataka]

9. Did the British ask the colonists

'Why are you burning your stores and homes?'

was that what happened during the tea party?

[BamaRefugee]

16. The British didn't ASK the colonists anything. They TOLD the colonists how it was.

Did Louisville cops ask Breonna anything while they pumped 8 bullets in her while she slept?

Did Chauvin ask Floyd if he was comfortable?

[sarisataka]

23. You completed missed the point nt

[BamaRefugee]

29. I don't think so. As MLK said "A riot is the language of the unheard."

He knew more about it than me, but I was born in Birmingham Alabama in 1951. I grew up with riots in Birmingham and the bombing of the church where the little girls died, and I also left my office on La Brea Blvd. in Los Angeles near the Beverly Center with the Rodney King rioters about 300 yards south of me, so along with my participation in Vietnam war protests, the protests in downtown LA just before George Bush’s illegitimate Gulf War and other things, I have some understanding of what’s going on.

[sarisataka]

34. And despite those riots

here we are.

My point regarding the tea party was the colonists did not attack themselves and destroy their own property. They dumped the property of the East India Company which directly was a challenge to the Crown authority. The King would not have cared had they destroyed Paul Revere's shop

[BamaRefugee]

37. And here we are. And here we'll be again. This is now a firmly entrenched American tradition.

I’m not approving it anymore than I approve Covid-19 or earthquakes in LA, but there’s nothing I can do to stop them.

[sarisataka]

40. It is a tradition I do not approve of either

I want racism to end. I don't want to go somewhere with a POC friend and ever have to tell an authority figure 'it's ok, he's with me'

Last night I was watching two separate protests. One was peaceful, they marched over ten miles with nearly no incidents. They policed their own and kept it civil. Several times they encountered police and had positive interactions. They were allowed to go their way, conducting civil disobedience without being molested. Several times during the night they were highlighted on local news and marchers were interviewed by reporters. They were heard. Their message for justice went out.

The other group was at the 5th precinct. They burned a bank, a post office and a restaurant. 350 cops descended on them and forcibly disbursed them. They caused Trump to threaten to send Federal troops here and cause the Governor to activate 13,000 National Guard.

Which group helped advance the cause of justice for George Floyd?

[BamaRefugee]

58. Neither. There's never going to be justice for the George Floyds out there. You can't fix stupid.

And if you can't fix stupid, you can't fix America.
400 years of sadness wrapped up in those few sentences.
Sucks.

[ecstatic]

2. Until all 4 of those cops are arrested, I don't really care

what the protesters do.

[EllieBC]

6. Because it's not in your community?

I’ve noticed this very flippant attitude of the safe suburb dwellers. It’s not their stores or post offices or restaurants being destroyed. It’s somewhere else. It’s about the cause but not where they are.

[ecstatic]

11. Because I'm sick of worrying about my family members, friends, and

even myself being killed by cops.

[EllieBC]

25. Protesters are getting that message out.

The rioters and looters destroying neighbourhoods aren’t. Again it’s really easy to be cavalier about a post office being torched when it’s not yours.

[ecstatic]

27. Listen you have no idea where I live or what

places in my area are being torched right now. Spare me your lectures and concern.

[sarisataka]

13. I see lots of that attitude from people

who do not know the communities that are suffering the violence.

I haven't seen anyone offer to have mobs come and destroy the neighborhoods they live in but happily preach 'burn it down' when it happens to others.

[The Magistrate]

3. Extremists, Whether Of the Right Or The Left, Sir

Hope simply to provoke wider violence, by stoking anger and fear in the populace. The one at present hopes they may produce a race war, and the other to produce a general assault on police and property.

[still_one]

14. I agree, and those that think the mindless destruction will help some cause, I think are very

misguided, and puts swing states in a very precarious situation

They sure as hell aren’t doing this for the memory George Floyd or the injustice against African American men

It takes away from the message, and the non-violent protestors who are trying to get the message out

[flamin lib]

5. As I understand it the message is

STOP KILLING US AND PAY SOME FUCKING ATTENTION.

[LisaL]

10. And that can be achieved by arson, looting and violence?

[still_one]

15. The looting and the arson takes away from the message that the peaceful protesters are trying to get

out

[abqtommy]

8. It's all the fault of Obama and Democrats is the screed they need... but only their minority base

will buy that...

[uppityperson]

12. People's lives mean less than property.

[still_one]

19. Do you think it is effective?

[sarisataka]

20. While driving around St Paul today I saw a business boarded up

in a potential hot spot area of the city. There was a plea spray painted on the boards:

"Minority owned" "Kids Inside" "Family Lives Upstairs"

But it's just property...

[still_one]

24. +++

[scarletwoman]

30. Thank you! Well said.

Yeah, "let it burn" coming from folks who won't suffer the affects is just disgusting.

[Hav]

17. It's also important to distinguish between those who protest racism (peacefully),

then surely some local rioters as well but also many provocateurs, many of them from out of state who use these events for their own reasons. I'm pretty sure that many who actually live there have no interest at all to destroy their own neighborhood.

But clearly, those who loot don't do it as a way to remember Floyd.

[Jedi Guy]

57. That doesn't appear to hold true in Hennepin County, according to CNN's analysis.

"Of the 51 people who were booked into jail in Hennepin County between noon Thursday and noon Saturday on riot, unlawful assembly, burglary or damage to property charges, 43 had an address listed in Minnesota."

Twenty percent is not even close to "many." I'll grant you that they may not be from Minneapolis, but they're from Minnesota.

[relayerbob]

18. They aren't sending a message, they are ...

attempting to ignite a civil war.

[stillcool]

21. That they're hopeless, helpless, and have no power.

they are desperate, and they are alone. The uprisings I've read about from around the world, all seem to have the same emotions, and the same actions.

[AntiFascist]

28. Witness Hong Kong n/t

[stillcool]

36. good point

https://i.insider.com/5d9367442e22af39c27beedf?width=1100&format=jpeg&auto=webp

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcRXjrc7SmMFbLInTL8Ybx0Pse58crdJDggKZHYzfX_Ff3xbQzRE&usqp=CAU

[tonedevil]

22. Why do you think...

people are rioting and/or looting because they have a message?
Protesters are the ones who have a message. If their message threatens the authorities long enough the police will do what they can to sow chaos to be used as reason to break up the demonstration. When the chaos takes hold there are individuals who lose themselves in the mob and there are individuals who see opportunity to enrich themselves in ways not otherwise available.
It is not an at all legitimate question and even seems a little trollish.

[still_one]

26. I agree with your assessment. I just wonder what the violent protesters think they will accomplish?

[StarfishSaver]

33. Sometimes some people who riot and loot DO have a message - not all of them, but some do

But are frustrated that no one paid any attention to their message when they tried to communicate it peacefully.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

31. That given the right circumstances they can get away with it.

I'm convinced that most if not all of them are Black Bloc anarchists or right wing "Boogaloo" types.

The arrests in Minnesota have shown this to be true.

[still_one]

35. From what I have seen it sure seems that way, and the peaceful protesters seem quite frustrated that

their message may be getting sidetracked

[StarfishSaver]

32. The fact that anyone is asking what their message is may be one of the reasons they're resorting

to these tactics. If people had been paying attention to their concerns before now, perhaps they wouldn't feel the need to do this.

As Dr. King said, "Rioting is the language of the unheard."

(Of course, I'm referring to the people who are engaging in these acts as a protest, not those who are just criminals or trying to incite conflict. I assume that's who you're talking about, too since the latter aren't trying to send a message).

[still_one]

38. There are people who don't care about the protest or the message, that are intentionally

trying to sow chaos and make the protesters look bad

[Merlot]

39. What message does a policeman who murders a man in broad daylight hope to impart?

[Hekate]

41. You've heard of Crisis Capitalism? This is Crisis Social Destruction. Seriously. Who benefits?

Nobody but Black Bloc, Anarchists, Proud Boys, and their ilk.

We are in the midst of a global pandemic that our own government is failing to competently address, yet white men still find time to hunt down black men and kill them. It wasn't cops who killed Aubrey, was it?

We are in the midst of righteous loud and anguished mass anger over the cold-blooded on-camera murder of Floyd by a cop. And who shows up after curfew dressed all in black not wanting to talk to other protestors? White men with hammers and (apparently) well thought out means of arson.

Who does this benefit?

[still_one]

42. Good question

[mshasta]

43. A building is replaceable as well as a Tv

cops keep killing humans ...and we should take it in silence ?

[still_one]

44. We will see how that resonates in November, and how many of those violent protesters vote

[Meowmee]

45. No message

They are trying to cause more harm, chaos etc. whoever is doing it. More senseless destruction. They are harming people who live there. This will spread covid even more. Nothing good will come of this and I don’t support it. Imo, it will help dumpster get elected.

[still_one]

46. I am afraid you are right, and worse propel trump back in the WH in those critical swing states

Biden really needs to come out and speak to what is happening

[Meowmee]

47. Yep, I just wonder what can help at this point

I am angry people could be so stupid to spread the virus more and fall into this trap. Especially at people in nyc who should know better, we just lost about 29,000 or more.

[still_one]

48. That is why I am hoping Biden comes out and sends a strong unifying message

[Meowmee]

49. Yes, I hope so too.

[choie]

51. What's he waiting for?

An invitation?

[zak247]

54. Right on

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213509540

A massive peaceful protest would have been wonderful but these violent dopes may help Trump win.

All he needs is two or three swing states

Getting those white voters in those swing states energized can help Trump.

[zak247]

50. Do the revolution through the ballot box

Get your asses out there and vote come November.

Particularly black people.

After Obama created this great coalition we slacked and let this mad dog Trump get in.

WAKE UP

black people didn't vote in 2016 and now we got this

DONT LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN

[betsuni]

52. More white people's fear means more Republican votes.

I assume this is the goal of at least some of the organized destruction. Whoever it is that is behind the scenes organizing these sorts of things know who to target online and use them to accomplish their goals.

[zak247]

53. Tried to tell them

I tried to say that her

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213509540

Were all angry but violence is counterproductive AND CAN REALLY BACKFIRE.

[betsuni]

55. Ah! I'm afraid of seeming conspiracy theory nutty, but...

The Kochs and Mercers and Russia/other counties that are helping the Republicans are all so ORGANIZED. All the think tanks, taking over the media and judiciary, politicizing religion -- Republicans have all these long term plans for everything. It just seems natural. And very Steve Bannon.

[SMC22307]

56. You are exactly right. I was getting my hopes up for November...

thankful that Trump is polling so poorly with suburban women and slipping with white working class women. These violent, destructive protests work to Trump's advantage, however, and right now I feel like we can kiss the swing states goodbye. Jesus, he'll be harping on Minnesota until the election. We'll see.