Is your city rioting?

[bjl584]

Nothing here.
The Pirates swept the Phillys this weekend, but no fires, broken windows, or riots as a result.

[disneysteve]

I will never understand the rioting mindset ..... Or even the idea that anything other than a generally peaceful protest is going to be remotely productive. The minute you start attacking people, damaging property, preventing uninterested parties from going about their lives (ex: blocking a highway) ... You lose all moral authority & nobody's really interested in listening to your issues, regardless of how legitimate they may be. Realistically, I expect that most people involved don't even have an issue or concern they're actually interested in changing.... They're just angry & want to vent their anger in the most child-like possible way.

Truly, I've never seen much productive point in almost ANY protests .... I'd love to see research on how often protests result in meaningful change. I expect that it would be something on the order of 2-3%.

I think protests raise awareness. If not for what's happening in LA, most of the country would probably have no idea what was going on.

I absolutely don't condone or support violence or property destruction but I'm 100% in favor of peaceful protest.

[kork13]

I think protests raise awareness. If not for what's happening in LA, most of the country would probably have no idea what was going on.

I absolutely don't condone or support violence or property destruction but I'm 100% in favor of peaceful protest.

Oh, I totally agree with you -- I'm fully supportive of the right to protest, as long as it stays peaceful & respects the similar rights of other citizens. It's also part of the whole "support & defend the constitution" thing that I've had drilled into me over the years. If you think protesting will make a meaningful impact & is a worthwhile use of your time, go for it. There has just never been a public issue that I've felt so deeply about that would bring me to waste hours or days of my life chanting slogans on somebody's lawn about it.

I'm also just very cynical about the effectiveness of most protests. Sure, it'll raise awareness if it gets big enough to draw media attention (for however long that lasts) ... but how much change will come about based on "awareness"? I'd argue relatively little, because politics & policy in the US are rarely based on ideas & rationality & logic ... it's all just brinksmanship & party loyalty. And if/when it turns violent/riotous, it's no longer about issues or ideas, it's just raw emotion & aggression, and utterly destructive to ... everything.

[myrdale]

I think protests raise awareness. If not for what's happening in LA, most of the country would probably have no idea what was going on.

Setting a car on fire is not a protest it's a riot. It doesn't spread awareness, it spreads the terror of when will they come burn your property down.

[ua_guy]

Most of the violence/property damage are paid bad/actors. This is a poorly coordinated stunt at best. I'm 100% in favor of peaceful protest.

[QuarterMillionMan]

The protests now spread to LAX airport over travel bans at the Tom Bradley International terminal. Back to the ICE protests going into the 4th day. Punks throwing rocks & water bottles at ICE vans, and 1 guy threw a molotov cocktail. Trash cans and trash bins set ablaze. Police cars vandalized. 5 Waymo Jaguar SUV set on fire and burnt to the ground apparently summoned by the protestors for the sole purpose of setting it on fire. Stores looted and vandalized. Graffiti saying "Kill ICE." Blocking the freeways. More protests are planned for today.

[disneysteve]

Setting a car on fire is not a protest it's a riot.

I agree, and I said the same in that I don't support or condone violence or property destruction.

[disneysteve]

Oh, I totally agree with you -- I'm fully supportive of the right to protest, as long as it stays peaceful & respects the similar rights of other citizens. It's also part of the whole "support & defend the constitution" thing that I've had drilled into me over the years. If you think protesting will make a meaningful impact & is a worthwhile use of your time, go for it. There has just never been a public issue that I've felt so deeply about that would bring me to waste hours or days of my life chanting slogans on somebody's lawn about it.

I'm also just very cynical about the effectiveness of most protests. Sure, it'll raise awareness if it gets big enough to draw media attention (for however long that lasts) ... but how much change will come about based on "awareness"? I'd argue relatively little, because politics & policy in the US are rarely based on ideas & rationality & logic ... it's all just brinksmanship & party loyalty. And if/when it turns violent/riotous, it's no longer about issues or ideas, it's just raw emotion & aggression, and utterly destructive to ... everything.

The civil rights movement is a fine example of progress from protest.

[disneysteve]

Keep your political comments, on both sides, out of your replies or the thread will be gone soon.

[james.hendrickson]

I want to point out that civil disturbances like this can be insanely expensive. The 1965 riots in Washington DC cost about 179 million, and the civil disturbance around George Floyd was easily 1 to 2 Billion.

[QuarterMillionMan]

This short video shows the Waymo cars being set on fire. The news this morning is showing 5 Waymo cars burnt to the ground.

Cars burn during LA riots

[ua_guy]

I want to point out that civil disturbances like this can be insanely expensive. The 1965 riots in Washington DC cost about 179 million, and the civil disturbance around George Floyd was easily 1 to 2 Billion.

I can only imagine the taxpayer expense of deploying the National Guard for such an activity. Could there have been a quieter and more targeted approach as to not attract national media and focus and still accomplish the objectives, while minimizing expense?

[james.hendrickson]

I can only imagine the taxpayer expense of deploying the National Guard for such an activity. Could there have been a quieter and more targeted approach as to not attract national media and focus and still accomplish the objectives, while minimizing expense?

I'm with you 100% on this. The direct cost of deploying thousands of soldiers, plus the cost of insurance for all the damage, plus clean up after all this is done, plus lost productivity costs, plus the costs of treating all the injured people, plus the long term decline in real estate values in impacted areas has got to be enormous.

I do wonder if maybe ICE shouldn't take a different approach towards immigration enforcement - policy should not result in these kinds of massive problems.

[myrdale]

Deployment cost for the National Guard is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of rebuilding a city which is burned to the ground. This was a wise policy decision which will save millions of dollars in the long run by protecting private property from destruction.

[myrdale]

Most of the violence/property damage are paid bad/actors.

I wonder who is funding their actions?