A woman in Santa Monica, California, desperately pleaded with rioters who were allegedly looting stores in the area on Sunday, screaming at them that they were going to get President Donald Trump re-elected.
“This is going to get Trump re-elected!” the woman screamed. “Please stop! Think first.”
“Do not get Trump re-elected for your behavior,” the woman desperately pleaded. “Please! Santa Monica, please! We don’t want Trump re-elected! Please stop doing this! They’re only going to want him back because of your–”
WATCH:
This woman ran up and stood outside a pillaged Vans and was begging people to stop looting because it will help get Trump re-elected.
“We don’t want Trump re-elected, please don’t do this” pic.twitter.com/739dYfD8ZT
— Brianna Sacks (@bri_sacks) May 31, 2020
The Santa Monica Daily Press (SMDP) reported that hundreds of demonstrators came together for protests that eventually turned in riots as looting broke out at nearby stores:
A group of looters started breaking into downtown stores and the Santa Monica Place mall after 2 p.m., and police set up a perimeter around the Third Street Promenade. A protester tried to prevent looters from breaking into a downtown REI Co-op.
As the looting escalated, hundreds of protesters gathered peacefully near the pier and smaller groups continued to protest in a few other areas downtown.
After the looting began, officials issued a 4 p.m. curfew, closed all 10 Freeway off-ramps into Santa Monica and halted the Metro E line at the 26th Street station. Los Angeles County issued a 6 p.m. curfew throughout all areas of the county.
The riots initially started as demonstrations to protest the death of George Floyd early last week, a black man who died after being taken into police custody.
President Donald Trump weighed in on the incident shortly after it happened, saying that he directed federal authorities to quickly investigate what happened.
“At my request, the FBI and the Department of Justice are already well into an investigation as to the very sad and tragic death in Minnesota of George Floyd,” Trump tweeted. “I have asked for this investigation to be expedited and greatly appreciate all of the work done by local law enforcement. My heart goes out to George’s family and friends. Justice will be served!”
….I have asked for this investigation to be expedited and greatly appreciate all of the work done by local law enforcement. My heart goes out to George’s family and friends. Justice will be served!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2020
Since then violent riots have broke out across the U.S. which have resulted in police being killed, businesses destroyed, stores looted, and lives upended in areas that were already hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
Attorney General William Barr responded to the riots on Saturday in part by saying: “In many places, it appears the violence is planned, organized, and driven by anarchistic and far left extremists, using Antifa-like tactics, many of whom travel from out of state to promote the violence. We must have law and order on our streets and in our communities, and it is the responsibility of the local and state leadership, in the first instance, to halt this violence. The Department of Justice (including the FBI, Marshals, ATF, and DEA), and all of our 93 U.S. Attorneys across the country, will support these local efforts and take all action necessary to enforce federal law.”
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