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 police became major targets:
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:
Other stores were also attacked.
The Gucci Store’s windows were smashed, and merchandise stolen:
Macy’s at the Windy City’s famous Watertower Place was also ransacked:
Smoke from the destruction could be seen from the highways going into the city:
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.
Chicago’s recently elected Mayor, Lori Lightfoot, also imposed a curfew on the city:
Similar scenes were found in Houston, Texas, as the city’s Adidas store was ransacked:
According to Chicago Tribune writer Eric Zorn, no Chicago TV station interrupted its repeats and syndicated programs to cover the riots engulfing downtown.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.