It may be hard to believe, but five years have passed since the Black Lives Matter riots of 2020 that caused weeks of unrest and destruction in cities across the country in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
A report by the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) found there were 2,385 looting incidents, 625 acts of arson (including 97 police cars burned), and 2,037 police officers injured from May 25 to July 31, 2020. Estimates at the time from the Insurance Information Institute predicted insurance payouts for damages could top $1 billion.
David Dorn, a 77-year-old former police captain, was shot and killed during a burglary of his pawn shop in St. Louis, MO, amid the riots, which were infamously described by CNN as “mostly peaceful.”
It all started with the Memorial Day death of Floyd, who died during an arrest by Minneapolis Police Department. Video showed Officer Derek Chauvin with what appeared to be his knee on Floyd’s neck as he shouted for help. Chauvin is now in prison after being convicted of second degree murder. He later pleaded guilty to violating Floyd’s civil rights.
Minneapolis Burns
Protests over Floyd’s death quickly erupted in Minneapolis and spiraled out of control. The city was overwhelmed with incidents of looting and destruction and a governor who did next to nothing. His name was Tim Walz. A report by the city found the riots caused 133 structure fires and $500 million in damage in just one week’s time from May 25 to June 3, 2020.
Perhaps the most dramatic moment unfolded when rioters took over the Minneapolis 3rd Police Precinct and burned it to the ground on May 28, 2020. Officers who survived the ordeal told Alpha News in The Fall of Minneapolis documentary that they feared they were “sitting ducks” because the only way off the premises was locked and squad car had to run into a fence to get it open.
“I remember looking through the rearview mirror as we left. It looked like a zombie movie,” an officer recalled. “[The rioters] just rushed to the fence, and started climbing the fence, and they caused the fences to collapse, and then they just all rushed the precinct.”
That Alpha News documentary was amazing. Producer Liz Collin has been on The Megyn Kelly Show multiple times, but our in-depth look at the filn was in episode 670. It is well worth your time. In any event, they allowed the 3rd Precinct to burn. There was a complicit mayor and governor and no one was looking out for regular law-abiding citizens in Minneapolis.
Protests Spread
And as you well know, it extended far beyond Minneapolis. The BLM bullies went coast to coast in their so-called activism, trying to target not just cops but regular people to repeat and support their message. People were harassed as they tried to eat outdoors – which we were all forced to do because of the COVID mania – by these BLM rioters/protesters/activists. Call them whatever you want. They were bullies, who were harassing private citizens.
We lived through this. It was only five years ago.
The city of Minneapolis still has not recovered despite all of the money that has poured in to rebuild “George Floyd Square.” Many buildings still show the scars of the unrest. Earlier this month, The New York Post spoke to a black man who owns an auto detailing shop near the George Floyd Memorial. “Black Lives Matter was never here. I never saw them even one time,” he said.” Everyone was just capitalizing off of a dead man. That’s what happened here, and that’s what no one will tell you.”
Playing Politics
But let’s not forget what Democrats were saying at the time. When Stephen Colbert asked Kamala Harris about the protests in June 2020, she issued a warning:
HARRIS: They’re not going to stop. They’re not going to stop. This is a movement, I’m telling you. They’re not going to stop, and everyone beware because they’re not going to stop… They’re not going to stop before Election Day in November, and they’re not going to stop after Election Day… Everyone should take note of that on both levels… They’re not going to let up, and they should not. And we should not.
Cities were burning. Cops were regularly being hurt. She didn’t care. “It’s not going to stop, and we shouldn’t stop.” She is now a lawyer looking for work.
It really brings up strong emotions when, five years later, you reflect on all the insanity we were subjected to in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
You can check out Megyn’s full analysis by tuning in to episode 1,082 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.