During another day of protests in Chicago, violence and looting broke out late in the day in the Windy City’s major shopping district, the Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue.
Marchers claiming to be protesting the police-involved death of Minneapolis man, George Floyd, were mostly peaceful earlier in the day as they marched on Lake Shore Drive. The Chicago Police responded with a hands-off approach and by shutting down vehicle traffic on the famed roadway as protesters sat down on the asphalt in protest.
But after that, peaceful protesting came to an end; violence and property destruction began as protesters made their way to Chicago’s Trump Tower and then into the shopping district.
Violence started at Trump Tower, a building a few blocks west of the city’s expansive shopping district.
The mask law is good 4 rioters After trying unsuccessfully to flip this Streets n San van,they use sticks, buckets and metal shovels. @chicagosmayor I think we need summer sports and we definitely need in person school this fall. @MorningAnswer @DanProft pic.twitter.com/Lk72IXr9Zh
— Amy Jacobson (@AmyJacobson) May 31, 2020
— ITakePix (@slow911) May 31, 2020
The police became major targets:
Breaking: Protests have turned violent in Downtown Chicago, Illinois. pic.twitter.com/N5QIXEWDiC
— PM Breaking News (@PMBreakingNews) May 30, 2020
This is some crazy shit!
Protesters in downtown Chicago almost flipped a police van with two cops inside!
Listen toward the end a woman screams:
“Shake that mother fucker!!”#ChicagoProtests #chicagoscanner
— Logan Parker (@AudiobookHero) May 31, 2020
Here’s what appears to be a burnt down squad car. Downtown Chicago. pic.twitter.com/OeEdDOSHgF
— Ambar 🇵🇷 (@MeDicenAmbi) May 31, 2020
Chicago right now. #GeorgeFloydProtests #Chicago pic.twitter.com/4N1OXadpO9
— Ashlee Rezin Garcia (@Ashlee_Rezin) May 31, 2020
Police car on fire at Ohio & Rush: pic.twitter.com/iAYf733PTY
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) May 31, 2020
Protesters almost topple CPD wagon on Wacker and Wabash pic.twitter.com/7AWkHbulPy
— The TRiiBE (@TheTRiiBE) May 30, 2020
Squad car just got tipped over at Hubbard and Dearborn. pic.twitter.com/738bIgqYPF
— Jeremy Gorner (@JeremyGorner) May 31, 2020
Lightfoot announces curfew as police SUVs flipped, set on fire in clashes with rioters during George Floyd protests in downtown https://t.co/Ow7m4W4duc pic.twitter.com/tF9sBLdsXJ
— Ashlee Rezin Garcia (@Ashlee_Rezin) May 31, 2020
According to Chicago’s CBS 2, three officers were injured during the rioting:
Then the looting of stores kicked into high gear.
One of the most “woke” companies in America, Nike sportswear, was destroyed by the rioters:
White nationalists and KGB operatives have hit the Nike store in Chicago https://t.co/rPHzbRb5aW
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) May 31, 2020
Other stores were also attacked.
The Gucci Store’s windows were smashed, and merchandise stolen:
Bye bye Gucci store in downtown Chicago 👋🏽 pic.twitter.com/CsuRo9UwR3
— d rose (@palirose48) May 30, 2020
Macy’s at the Windy City’s famous Watertower Place was also ransacked:
Macy’s at Water Tower Place was smashed and looted about an hour ago. They’re trying to board up all the windows right now. pic.twitter.com/xNHtFazgLV
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) May 31, 2020
Looters Target Macy's, Kay Jewelers Downtown Amid George Floyd Protests https://t.co/RtffnZRC9O pic.twitter.com/XSvQ8zYtM8
— CBS Chicago (@cbschicago) May 31, 2020
Smoke from the destruction could be seen from the highways going into the city:
Smoke visible miles from downtown Chicago, where protesters have set some fires pic.twitter.com/XE6UH4pN2B
— Gregory Pratt (@royalpratt) May 31, 2020
The city responded by raising all the bridges across the Chicago River, which splits the city just south of Michigan and Wacker where the shopping district begins to the north.
The Chicago Police apparently intended to give protesters fewer ways to escape being rounded up.
DOWNTOWN CHICAGO SHUT DOWN
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 31, 2020
If for some reason you were thinking of coming to downtown Chicago tonight: Don’t. You literally won’t be able to cross that bridge (or that bridge or that bridge) when you come to it. pic.twitter.com/fIAmWcXHVH
— Richard Roeper (@RichardERoeper) May 31, 2020
Chicago’s recently elected Mayor, Lori Lightfoot, also imposed a curfew on the city:
CURFEW IN EFFECT: Until further notice, a curfew between the hours of 9PM and 6AM is now in effect in the City of Chicago. Please stay safe. pic.twitter.com/14GcaGs2N3
— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) May 31, 2020
Similar scenes were found in Houston, Texas, as the city’s Adidas store was ransacked:
#BreakingNews Rioting in the streets! The #adidas store on Houston St. had its door smashed and ransacked! Protestors moving down #Broadway in #Soho. #GeorgeFloydProtests #NYCRiots #NYC #protests #JusticeForGeorgeFlyod @NBCNewYork pic.twitter.com/tUqhKPLhxf
— Keith Feldman (@NBCproducer) May 31, 2020
According to Chicago Tribune writer Eric Zorn, no Chicago TV station interrupted its repeats and syndicated programs to cover the riots engulfing downtown.
Well, this must not be a very big deal because Chicago’s local TV stations haven’t cut away from their inane early-Saturday-evening syndicated programming to cover it live. pic.twitter.com/BFxMDa8Okd
— Eric Zorn (@EricZorn) May 30, 2020
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