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As riots and protests continue to rage across the United States, police presence in cities has increased and some Americans have begun taking up arms to protect their families, businesses and communities.
Rioters in cities such as Washington, D.C., New York City, and Los Angeles looted, pillaged, and burned into the early hours of the morning on Saturday and Sunday. Law enforcement braced for more riots Monday evening, and President Donald Trump vowed Monday evening to mobilize all federal resources against those engaged in such destructive behavior.
“I am mobilizing all federal resources, civilian and military to stop the rioting and looting, to end the destruction and arson, and to protect the rights of law-abiding Americans, including your Second Amendment rights,” the president said.
Citizens across the country have already begun to take matters into their own hands in order to protect their livelihoods. Photographs depict business owners armed with guns protecting their stores from looters and rioters in Santa Monica.
BREAKING: Armed business owners are now stationed outside and on top their properties in Santa Monica. They are taking their protection into their own hands now. @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/GTawCJPA2g
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) June 1, 2020
In Florida, a sheriff encouraged residents to fire upon any prospective looters or pillagers following heated protests that took place in the Lakeland area.
“The people in Polk County like guns, they have guns, I encourage them to own guns,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a press briefing Monday, according to Fox 13.
“And if you try to break into their homes to steal, to set fires, I’m highly recommending they blow you back out of the house with their guns,” Judd said.
WATCH:
“The people in Polk County like guns, they have guns, I encourage them to own guns… And if you try to break into their homes to steal, to set fires, I’m highly recommending they blow you back out of the house with their guns.” STORY: https://t.co/NjG4Frlphy pic.twitter.com/KH0g3X0POC
— FOX 13 Tampa Bay (@FOX13News) June 1, 2020
Washington, D.C. protests stayed quieter than previous nights as law enforcement surrounded protestors before loading some into arrest vans, footage obtained by Daily Caller reporters shows. Helicopters hovered over the city, shut down early for a 7pm curfew mandated by both DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and Trump.
WATCH:
“The people in Polk County like guns, they have guns, I encourage them to own guns… And if you try to break into their homes to steal, to set fires, I’m highly recommending they blow you back out of the house with their guns.” STORY: https://t.co/NjG4Frlphy pic.twitter.com/KH0g3X0POC
— FOX 13 Tampa Bay (@FOX13News) June 1, 2020
Police told the Daily Caller that everyone who is arrested will be given a summons (not taken to prison in DC) unless they have committed a felony previously or have a prior warrant.
Military helicopters trying to disperse protesters here in DC pic.twitter.com/md6hYVqE7u
— Katie Hill (@KatieHill4CA) June 2, 2020
In Philadelphia, a large group of men reportedly sought to protect the police and their community as they prowled the streets with baseball bats.
WATCH:
There are now two all white armed vigilante groups roaming Fishtown with the blessing of the @phillypolice pic.twitter.com/csGWCDZ6Nw
— Josh Albert (@jpegjoshua) June 1, 2020
In Rochester, New York, and in Chicago, Illinois, armed Arab business owners reportedly kept watch over their stores to protect against looters, according to posts on social media.
Arab business owners protecting their businesses in Rochester NY! pic.twitter.com/xWvY5qsaqq
— al.prodigy (@Al__prodigy) June 1, 2020
In Los Angeles, business owners desperately tried to flag down police to ward off looters from ruining their businesses.
(2/3) EXCLUSIVE: A group of alleged looters square-off against business owners in Van Nuys as police converge onto the scene. The tense moments were captured live in front of our FOX 11 news camera. https://t.co/KEbNy7SnKw pic.twitter.com/ruAjXGSeev
— FOX 11 Los Angeles (@FOXLA) June 2, 2020
But protests continued to rage in New York, where rioters looted and pillaged the city and a trooper and an officer were reportedly hit by a car.
Video taken from above a Nordstrom Rack in Union Square shows the chaos of the looting and riots in NYC: https://t.co/drRlIbUROk pic.twitter.com/WBuIsh1WzE
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) June 2, 2020
BREAKING: A trooper and an officer were hit by a car that blew through a line of officers at the protest on Bailey Avenue according to PBA President John Evans. They were taken to ECMC. Stay with @SPECNewsBuffalo for updates. #Buffalo pic.twitter.com/odQygo09lH
— Stephen Marth (@StephenMarth) June 2, 2020
Reports of looting at multiple areas in New York City, including Manhattan and the Bronx.
Curfew will be put into effect at 11:00pm ET.pic.twitter.com/nQ1DRNKvyZ
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) June 2, 2020
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