Situation in Santa Monica, California and Nationwide Protests

Key Events in Santa Monica

• Police firing tear gas to push crowds back.
• Earlier looting nearby.
• Police response escalating.

Nationwide Context

• Protests turning into riots and looting in many American cities.
• Curfew ordered in Los Angeles, city turning into a war zone.
  • Attempted breach of television studios.
  • Police cruisers torched, officers responding with rubber bullets.
  • Looting of department stores, jewelers, high-end apparel shops.
  • Mayor calling on National Guard for the first time since 1992 Rodney King riots.

Comparative Historical Context

• Similar scenes and issues of injustice as the Rodney King riots, 28 years ago.

Specific Incidents

• Seattle: Police lost control of downtown, vehicles destroyed and taken over by crowds.
  • High-powered police rifle taken and disarmed by a plainclothes security guard.
• Los Angeles: Footage of an officer with knee on the neck of someone in custody, reminiscent of George Floyd's death.
• Philadelphia: Violent takedowns, footlocker looted, over a dozen officers injured.
• Miami: Tear gas, police battling protesters, banks burned, highways shut down, City Hall on fire.
• Salt Lake City: Man identified for potentially firing arrows from a crossbow into a crowd.
• Tallahassee: Pickup truck drove through a protest crowd.
• Chicago: National Guard moving in after clashes between protesters and police.

Overall Situation

• State of emergency in Los Angeles and similar scenes nationwide.
• Thousands arrested, significant destruction and violence.
• A nation on edge, pleading for peace amid ongoing unrest.
• Curfew in Santa Monica starting soon, ongoing tension between police and protesters.