Businesses clean up - again - after riot in Seattle
SEATTLE - After another day of violent riots, businesses were left to clean up the remains of broken windows, damaged buildings and looted stores on Sunday morning.
A Starbucks store on 12th Ave and E. Columbia Street was targeted by several rioters, with windows smashed, merchandise looted and profanity spray-painted on the outside walls.
Staff and a restoration company assisted in the extensive clean-up.
One protester on Capitol Hill said regardless of the kind of protest, it all serves a purpose.
"Violent protest, peaceful protest. It is all protest. All protest is designed to disrupt," said Javi Cordero. "The're treating black and brown people as if they're disposable and now peole have had enough."
More businesses were being boarded - and reboarded - Sunday morning in anticipation of more violence and destruction in coming days.
One business owner said the presence of federal agents in Seattle was to blame for the escalated violence.
“That’s the only reason why this is happening today. It’s been quiet. Yes, I know there’s been things going on, but not like it was. It’s 100 percent because the feds are here,” said Jamie Boudreau, the owner of Canon.
Seattle Police declared a riot Saturday afternoon after a peaceful protest was hijacked by vandals who set fire to construction sites, threw explosives at police and scaled a security fence to damage SPD's East Precinct building.
Protesters threw rocks, water bottles and fireworks at officers on Capitol Hill. In a statement released Sunday, Seattle Police said 59 officers were injured in the riot and 47 people were aressted for assaults on officers, failure to disperse, and obstruction.
SPD released officer body camera footage on Sunday. Officers can be seen getting hit with explosives and other devices from protesters.
Officers were seen spraying protesters with pepper spray and using blast balls to disperse crowds, tools they wouldn't have had if a judge hadn't intervened late Friday night and blocked a law banning the less-lethal crowd-control measures from taking effect.