Looters hit Santa Monica Place mall, even as protesters march peacefully

Hundreds of protesters converged on Santa Monica on Sunday to continue demonstrations expressing outrage over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of police, while some looters targeted stores in the area.

The demonstrators walked from the Santa Monica Pier north along Ocean Avenue, carrying signs and chanting. They then moved downtown before going to the police department. The march was peaceful, officials said.

“A peaceful protest is underway along Ocean Avenue between Montana and Colorado,” the city said in a statement issued at 1:15 p.m. “The Santa Monica Police Department is on site and has a presence throughout the community.”

Floyd was an unarmed black Minneapolis man who died in custody after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes despite Floyd’s pleas that he couldn’t breathe.

Amid the demonstration, however, several stores were looted in the downtown area.

Video showed dozens of people breaking into the Santa Monica Place shopping mall and emerging with armloads of clothing. The mall entrance was blocked off by a gate barrier, but looters got through.

The looting appears to have been separate from the march, which moved around Ocean Avenue and massed in front of the pier. In one case, someone broke the window of a pharamacy before walking away.

By 2 p.m., police had arrived at the mall. The nearby Third Street Promenade was cordoned off by police.

Santa Monica also extended its curfew, from 8 p.m. Sunday to 5:30 a.m. Monday.

———

©2020 the Los Angeles Times

Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.