By the Daily Post staff
Police are warning businesses in the mid-Peninsula to prepare for the violence that has ravaged cities from California to New York following the death of George Floyd, a black man who pleaded for air as a Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee into his neck.
Redwood City police, in an email to the city’s businesses, said they have learned of several demonstrations planned locally:
• Today (Monday, June 1), demonstrations took place in Menlo Park and San Carlos.
• Tomorrow (Tuesday, June 2), protests are planned in downtown Redwood City at 4 p.m.
• Wednesday (June 3), East Palo Alto and San Mateo. The EPA protest will be at noon at Jack Farrell Park, 2277 University Ave. The San Mateo protest is set for 5 p.m. at City Hall, 330 W. 20th Ave.
“…We ask local businesses to plan accordingly, such as removing any outdoor furniture and/or boarding windows,” Redwood City police said.
Palo Alto police Sunday night were watching for potential looters. One officer said over the police radio that his colleagues should be aware of a “large crew hitting malls” in the Bay Area.
On Saturday, thieves stormed stores in Emeryville, snatching flat screen TVs, shoes and other goods.
In Palo Alto, workers on Sunday boarded up the Apple Store at 340 University Ave. in Palo Alto.
Sunday afternoon, Target temporarily closed 175 stores across the country — including those in East Palo Alto, Redwood City, San Mateo and Mountain View — four days after looters struck a Minneapolis store during protests against police there.
At 4 p.m. Sunday, Target employees were ushering customers out of the store, and those approaching the front door were told the store was closing. Two East Palo Alto police cars were parked by the front. Target didn’t say in a press release when its stores would reopen, and employees in East Palo Alto didn’t know either.
“We will always protect free speech and the right to live without fear of violence or vandalism,” Redwood City said in its message to businesses. “To increase safety for demonstrators, law enforcement, and the Redwood City community, the Redwood City Police Department is actively preparing for this event and will have a strong presence for safety and to allow for a peaceful and respectful demonstration.”
Maybe Redwood City will finally get to use its tank. https://youtu.be/jHE43A3zrCI
The problem is that the thugs and looters pose as “peaceful protesters.”
Yeah how about you just shut your mouth if you’ve got nothing good to say. Just say the n-word and be on your way, Britt.
How does one tell the peaceful protesters apart from the looters?
The one’s ‘taking the knee’ are Not the ones bashing windows & grabbing stuff . . . Duhhhhhh.
If you weren’t protesting, then looters couldn’t hide in a large crowd, right? But I guess protesting is more important than looking out for small, local businesses who are the victims of these looters.
I guess protecting property is more important to you than the lives of black people murdered by police.
ok so if someone looted and burned down your own home, then youd be chill with it right? since its for social justice. in your point of view, everyone else should be just as miserable since your miserable
Looks to me like that cop in Minneapolis was the one who took a knee … for eight minutes
Actually protesters protest in the day whereas looting happens in the evening or at night, but have protected businesses from the looting. Police are the ones who are supposed to protect the businesses so why aren’t they doing their job?
FAIL brain lite boomer . . . there are legit protesters “taking the knee” and professional looters using that as time to loot at will . . . Fortunately peninsula police have already picked up perps with merch from Walnut Creek heist and looking to take Stanford . 1/2 wit looters diminish George’s life & Black Lives Matter .
Hey Boomer-
Go back the cave in which you came, where all you looter friends are hiding.
We know your game. Protests are a fraud just cover for looters. Protests are there to distract cops while their friends and family loot. This is not the city or other liberal do nothing area. Cops are ready for them and if they can’t get them we have other ways of protecting ours.
Why aren’t the police doing their jobs protecting those businesses? Interesting how looting happens and cops who are saturated throughout those cities are suddenly nowhere to be seen when actual looting is happening. Funny how you’re a republican in a democratic state, maybe you should move out to an actual red state then tell me how that goes for you.
Define “Thug” please. Any particular skin color your implying?
A thug by definition is a violent person, especially a criminal. The original thugs were actually a violent religious sect of robbers and assassins in India. Why put skin color into it?
The problem is that police pose as community members when they’re really just aggressive, peaked in high school, women beating monsters poorly trained in humanity.
Very true.
Protest organizers should think about ways to distance themselves from those looting stores or inciting violence as their message about social justice is going to be lost when people associated the protests with criminal activity. It’s dismaying to me that some organizers haven’t disavowed the violence at all or much when George Floyd’s family has clearly stated they don’t support the damage of cities or people.
Perhaps they need to do something like set clear hours and say if you’re still remaining in the city after this or that hour (can be coordinated with curfews), you will be at risk for being suspected of engaging in criminal activity.
Alternatively, have people register before/ at the protest. I have done this before when attending various groups’ activities. The organizers do it to plan for crowd size and logistics but registering also might make it less likely those same people will go loot a store or hurt someone.
I can see the traffic jam on 101 from my house
Thanks fore posting the whereabouts of the protests. I hope it heals more people turn out.
When will the protests die out.