Amazon Delivery Van Looted in Santa Monica
An Amazon delivery van was looted in Santa Monica, California, on Sunday during what is now nearly a week-long series of riots that have sparked in cities across the country after the death of George Floyd last Monday.
Looters in Santa Monica on Sunday attacked an Amazon deliver vehicle, according to a Los Angeles resident who filmed the incident and posted it to social media.
A group of over a dozen people can be seen in a short video clip appearing to take contents from the back of an open Amazon delivery van in Santa Monica while people in nearby cars honked on their horns.
@JeffBezos @amazon people are looting your trucks in Santa Monica, CA. Get your drivers home safely. People can wait a day for packages. @santamonicacity @SantaMonicaPD pic.twitter.com/w5YD2Cdh1G
— David Hansen (@investDRH) May 31, 2020
Earlier on Sunday, Amazon issued a statement in support of protesters from the company’s official Twitter account.
“The inequitable and brutal treatment of Black people in our country must stop,” read Amazon’s statement. “Together we stand in solidarity with the Black community — our employees, customers, and partners — in the fight against systemic racism and injustice.”
— Amazon (@amazon) May 31, 2020
The Amazon truck was not the only entity looted in Santa Monica on Sunday as looters also hit high-end retailers — in broad daylight — while protests continue to surge.
The protests — which have devolved into riots — appear to be in response to the death of George Floyd, who died on Monday after former police officer Derek Chauvin was seen pressing his knee onto Floyd’s neck.
On Friday, the state of Minnesota announced that Chauvin was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
The riots that have ensued following Floyd’s death have been taking place in cities across the country and have involved looting, buildings being set on fire, businesses destroyed, the White House going on lockdown, and people being beaten and even killed.
The violent riots have prompted the mayors of several cities across the country to issue curfews in an attempt to quell the chaos, with some even calling on their state’s governor to activate the National Guard for help.
On Saturday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued a curfew, proclaiming, “if you love your city, go home.” The curfew however, did not appear to end violence in the city, prompting the mayor to call on California governor Gavin Newsom to activate the state’s National Guard for help.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.