As protests broke out across the nation in response to the murder of George Floyd, a video went viral showing Black Lives Matter protestors in Los Angeles clashing with non-black graffiti taggers.
In the video, a peaceful protestor reprimands two young, non-black people who claim to be protesting for the movement against police brutality and killings. However, it becomes clear that they are part of the problem as they distort the message of the protest, which is to implement police reform and end violence towards black people.
On the walls of a Starbucks building, two taggers spray painted terminology often used in the movement, such as ‘BLM’ for Black Lives Matter and ‘stop policing people’.
The Black Lives Matter protestor, who goes by @TheReelCourtney, is outraged by the disingenuous act and yells for them to stop.
“This was a peaceful protest,” the woman says in the video. “They don’t show your faces when they show [the graffiti], they show ours —We’re not going to get anything done by doing that!”
A local Fox News station reported that there were several protestors looting and tagging businesses. However, the footage of people breaking into stores at popular Los Angeles shopping destination The Grove and along a row of boutique stores at the Fairfax District revealed that most of the looters were not only non-blacks, but appeared to be taking advantage of the riots as a way to level up on non-essential items.
The problem with this is that on Monday morning, there will be news reports detracting from the powerful purpose of the protests; hence, burying the original message that the black community wants police to change their policies to end the unjust killings of unarmed black people and the continuous acquittal of guilty police officers.
Several protestors went online claiming that there were a group of conservatives embarking on the protests held around the country. Their purpose was solely to perform illegal acts in order to distort the message of the protests.
With that said, if you are in the streets protesting, make sure that what you are doing is beneficial to the movement. Stealing high-priced clothes and damaging property that has nothing to do with the message is not only counterproductive, but it’s also not a part of the collective goal.
While it was pretty understandable why Minnesota reacted the way they did, it doesn’t make sense for people in Los Angeles or any other city to destroy malls and break into Subways.
Not that it should be done, but wouldn’t it make more sense to target police precincts or historically oppressive and racist institutes and establishments? Now, that sends the message that enough is enough. It lets the world know that racism and bigotry will not be tolerated. But, Starbucks and Nordstrom? That ain’t it.
