A sports writer who covers the NBA appeared to cheer the violent riots in Minneapolis earlier this week, but quickly changed his tune when the riots started hitting too close to home.
On Thursday night, Chris Martin Palmer responded to a photo of a burning building in Minneapolis by writing, “Burn that s**t down. Burn it all down.”
Shortly after the attack on the building happened, reports surfaced indicating that the building was an affordable housing unit that was being built for those living in poverty.
“The under-construction affordable housing development that burned in the widespread violence in south Minneapolis late Wednesday and early Thursday was to be a six-story rental building with 189 apartments for low-income renters, including more than three dozen for very low-income tenants,” Star Tribune reported. “Construction began last fall on Midtown Corner, which was expected to be completed and ready for occupancy this year.”
Chris Martin Palmer deleted this tweet. Don't let him forget what he said. pic.twitter.com/fvDncRTMsM
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) May 31, 2020
Palmer’s tone about the riots began to change as the week continued to progress and the riots apparently ended up getting somewhat close to where he is located.
On Friday, Palmer tweeted: “Yo! There’s gonna be a rally near my house tomorrow. They never have rallies in rich neighborhoods. I’m scared to go! I don’t want to be around people.”
“Nah, I gotta walk the walk,” Palmer continued. “If I do it on Twitter I gotta do it in real life. Wouldn’t miss it for the world. An historical event. I will try to capture plenty images.”
Nah, I gotta walk the walk. If I do it on Twitter I gotta do it in real life. Wouldn’t miss it for the world. An historical event. I will try to capture plenty images.
— Chris Martin Palmer (@ChrisPalmerNBA) May 30, 2020
On Saturday, Palmer became much more aggressive in voicing his opposition to the riots.
“I’m as down for the cause as anybody. Any of you clowns thinking you’re gonna loot The Grove or Rodeo Drive. It will not work out well for you,” Palmer wrote. “Trying to loot Rodeo Drive is probably the worst idea in the history of bad ideas. I’m as angry as everyone else. But keep that shit in DTLA.”
Trying to loot Rodeo Drive is probably the worst idea in the history of bad ideas. I'm as angry as everyone else. But keep that shit in DTLA.
— Chris Martin Palmer (@ChrisPalmerNBA) May 30, 2020
“You bring that shit to our neighborhood and I’m gonna have a real problem with it. There’s a lot of people up here who care and are angry. Attacking our neighborhood kills the movement and disgraces George Floyd,” Palmer continued, later adding, “Are Beverly Hills Cops jerks? Some are. Sure they’ll write you a ticket for having loud exhaust on an exotic car. Or for cruising. But they will protect the community. You should definitely know that before you get any bright ‘protest’ ideas.”
Late on Saturday night, Palmer continued, “They just attacked our sister community down the street. It’s a gated community and they tried to climb the gates. They had to beat them back. Then destroyed a Starbucks and are now in front of my building. Get these animals TF out of my neighborhood. Go back to where you live.”
“Welp. They’re gone. Security called the cops and they swarmed,” Palmer concluded. “Some scattered, others were arrested. (You hate to see it.) Tense moments. There’s graffiti everywhere. We live in a beautiful, safe community and have pride. These people had no pride and weren’t protesters.”
Welp. They're gone. Security called the cops and they swarmed. Some scattered, others were arrested. (You hate to see it.) Tense moments. There's graffiti everywhere. We live in a beautiful, safe community and have pride. These people had no pride and weren't protesters.
— Chris Martin Palmer (@ChrisPalmerNBA) May 31, 2020
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