In stark contrast to several “reopen” protests, anti-police agitators turned violent on Sunday, smashing windows and burning a car in downtown Lansing, Michigan.
Several videos posted to Twitter show “protesters” damaging storefronts, including a Chase Bank:
One witness claimed they “broke into” the building:
Another video shows the aftermath of the “protesters'” work:
Rioters also overturned a vehicle before setting it on fire:
The actions stand in stark contrast to the peaceful demonstrations that have been publicly attacked by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Conservatives have held multiple protests, pushing for the reopening of the economy, but Whitmer has accused them of spreading coronavirus around the state.
After the first, “Operation Gridlock,” protest, Whitmer told reporters, “We know that this demonstration is going to come at a cost to people’s health.”
“We know that when people gather that way without masks, they were within close proximity, they were touching one another, that that’s how COVID-19 spreads,” she said.
She went on to blame the protesters for further restrictions she may impose in the future.
“So the sad irony here is that the protest is that they don’t like being in this stay home order,” she said, “and they may have just created the need to lengthen it.”
She said she wouldn’t predict that “a certain percentage” of protesters would fall ill, “but I know that, just by congregating, they’ve made that a real possibility, that they’ve endangered other people’s lives.”
On Saturday, she urged communities to create “areas for peaceful demonstrations.”
While Whitmer has not yet addressed the looting on Twitter, she did praise a sheriff for appearing with protesters in Flint.
“I’m grateful for his leadership, and I hope to see many more follow his lead,” she wrote.
Kyle Olson is a reporter for Breitbart News. He is also host of “The Kyle Olson Show,” syndicated on Michigan radio stations on Saturdays. Listen to segments on YouTube. Follow him on Twitter and like him on Facebook.