Ferguson Business Owner: ‘I Lost Everything,’ Rioting Isn’t Part of Protesting

On Tuesday’s “Your World with Neil Cavuto” on the Fox News Channel, Jeniece Andrews, whose antiques shop was destroyed by rioters in Ferguson, MO said that rioting “is not part of protesting,” that rioters are simply hurting business owners who have are hurting themselves and that “I lost everything I had, that I worked for.” She also extended her condolences to the Gray family for the death of Freddie Gray.

“I would like to say to the people that are doing this rioting, it seems like a lot of these young people think they know what — that think that’s part of protesting. But that is not part of protesting. And basically what you are doing is you’re taking away the heartbeat of your community. You’re hurting these small businesses — that are there to nurture you and to help you and to make your life better. And you taking things that…is not going to bring justice to the situation. I think they should step back and let justice take its course. Let things be rebuilt and not do illegal things to shine a negative light on the black community. I think they should move forward in healing and peace with protests, if that’s what they choose to do, but not destroy other businesses and — hurt people who are hurting their ownself” she stated.

Andrews added, “I would like to say to all the mothers, please get your children off the street and know where your child is tonight. Please do that. And that’s what I did, even though I had to watch my business burn and I lost everything I had, that I worked for, we were not rich, we put our life savings into this building, and we lost everything and I still have to deal with that, yeah. The loss of my five and dime suddenly, and my business, and then the Mike Brown situation happened in my community. I had to grieve over that too, because I’m a mother of three young black men. Who — you always have to be concerned, and you pray to God ‘put a protection of cover on them that they make it home at night.’ So, my sympathy is out to that family and to that mother of that young man [Freddie Gray] that died there in Baltimore today, but I’m saying violence and rioting is not the answer. It’s not the answer for your community, it’s not the answer for the world. And we do not need hate now, and negativity has never brought about positive results.”