[Photo by Ed Yoo]
The end of the fifth night of protests in the city saw more damage and looting to businesses in the hard-hit area south of Union Square.
Nearly two hours before the city's 11 p.m. curfew, looters were seen smashing their way into the Zumiez store on 13th Street and Broadway. Photographer Ed Yoo shared these images, saying that "it was nuts." (All photos here are by Ed.)
The Daily News has footage of the looters smashing their way into the skateboard apparel shop. They were inside for two minutes before police arrived.
The paper spoke with two of the men breaking into the store:
"It’s not just about George Floyd. It's about people who can't afford things," said one looter, a 22-year-old Bedford-Stuyvesant resident who gave the name Twin Moses. "We're going to sell this stuff back on the street for a lower price. We're getting our own back."
Another looter, who didn't give his name, rushed out of the store with his arms full of hoodies, designer sportswear and skateboards. "They've been beating my ass for 400 years. Now I'm going to buy my own chains. They call me black. Black America," he said.
Further south, windows were smashed at the Gap Women, Kmart and Starbucks on Astor Place...
The Astor Place Starbucks appears to have been ransacked...
Windows were broken at Kmart, but it's unclear if anyone entered the store... there appears to be security inside...
As in previous days, the citywide protests against racist police violence in the aftermath of George Floyd's death were said to be peaceful. However, as multiple published reports noted, as night falls, people use the crowd as cover.
Mayor de Blasio has announced an 8 p.m. curfew for today...
These protests have power and meaning. But as the night wears on we are seeing groups use them to incite violence and destroy property.
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) June 2, 2020
Our first priority is keeping people safe, so I’m extending the curfew to Tuesday. It will begin at 8pm.
