COVID-19 Disease - Nationwide Lockdown - 40+ Million Unemployed
Blue-on-Black Outrage - Ignites America

After months of fear, frustration, pent up anger and now a viral video of a police restraint technique that should have been outlawed years ago, we have a nation on fire with legitimate protestors and numerous groups taking advantage of the opportunity - with daytime protestors and nighttime rioters. During all of our lifetimes this country has never been in such turmoil as it is right now.
 

Nationwide Protests in 140 Cities - 21 States
Day-Time Protests - Night-Time Riots

Live Updates on George Floyd Protests:
Overnight Mayhem Follows Peaceful Rallies
Fires burned outside the White House, the streets of New York City were gripped by mayhem and stores in Santa Monica, Calif., were looted after another day of peaceful protests descended into lawlessness in major cities across the United States.

On the sixth day of unrest since the death of George Floyd last week in Minneapolis, hundreds were arrested as streets seethed with unrest. Even as businesses braced for looting, stores were ransacked. In Manhattan, the owners of the upscale Chanel store had boarded up its windows, only to wake on Monday to find that thieves had found their way inside.

The National Guard was deployed in more than two dozen states to assist overwhelmed police departments, and dozens of mayors extended curfews.

The National Guard was involved in a fatal shooting in Louisville.

A man was killed early Monday in Louisville, Ky., when police officers and National Guard troops were breaking up a group of protesters. Someone in the crowd fired at them, and the troops and officers fired back, the authorities said.

Clashes with the police and looting in New York after tens of thousands protest peacefully.

Flames nearly two stories high leapt from trash cans and piles of street debris, sending acrid smoke into the air around Union Square in New York City. Stores in the trendy SoHo neighborhood were targeted for the second night in a row. And across the city, the police clashed with protesters in a city on edge.

On Sunday night, thousands of demonstrators fanned across the city. One group crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, and another briefly shut down the Manhattan Bridge. nytimes.com

White House calls for 'law and order' as violent protests rage
The White House on Monday called for "law and order" and blamed agitators for a sixth straight night of violent nationwide U.S. protests triggered by anger over racial inequities and excessive police force.

Dozens of cities across the United States remain under curfews at a level not seen since riots following the 1968 assassination of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.

"We need law and order in this country," White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany told Fox News. She said Antifa, an anti-fascist group, was "certainly behind" the violence.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who on Sunday branded the group a terrorist organization, was due on Monday to meet his top law enforcement officer behind closed doors and then hold a call with governors, law enforcement and national security officials. reuters.com

Biggest Deployment of Troops Since 1968 Martin Luther King Protests
Some 62,000 National Guard troops mobilized in George Floyd unrest
"As of Sunday, National Guard Soldiers and Airmen were activated in 24 states and the District of Columbia in response to civil disturbances, bringing the total number of Guard members on duty in support of their governors to nearly 62,000," the Guard announced in a statement Sunday. foxnews.com

Two Atlanta Police Officers Fired for Dragging 2 College Students From Car & Tasing Them - Excessive Force
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms apologized Sunday for what she said was clearly excessive force used by Atlanta Police in the arrest of two young African Americans during the city's curfew crackdown Saturday night after protests.

Bottoms said she ordered the firings of two of the five officers involved in the traffic stop after reviewing the body camera footage with Police Chief Erika Shields. The other three officers are on desk duty, pending an investigation. nydailynews.com

Police Restraint Technique Used Again
Seattle cop removes colleague's knee from protester's neck, video shows
New video shows a Seattle cop stop his colleague from using his knee to pin a protester by the neck during demonstrations against the killing of George Floyd - who died after being restrained in the same manner.

Journalist Matt McKnight shared footage Saturday night of two officers tackling a white protester to the ground outside of a T-Mobile store. In the clip on Twitter, one of the officers can be seen kneeling on the neck of the man despite repeated cries from multiple protesters.

"Get your f-king knee off his neck," one of the bystanders could be heard shouting. The cop kept his knee on the man's neck for about 13 seconds before the other officer grabs his colleague's knee and drags it off, video shows. Moments before the arrest, the same officer who put his knee on the man appears to be seen in another video kneeling on the neck of a different protester. Video shows the cop remove his knee from the other man's neck when he sees the first protester sprinting and goes to tackle him. nypost.com

Over 40 major cities across the U.S. imposed curfews Sunday night:

Arizona: Weeklong statewide curfew
California: Los Angeles County, San Francisco, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, San Jose
Colorado: Denver
District of Columbia
Florida: Miami, Orange County, Jacksonville, Orlando
Georgia: Atlanta
Illinois: Chicago
Indiana: Indianapolis
Kentucky: Louisville
Michigan: Detroit
Minnesota: Minneapolis, St. Paul
Missouri: Kansas City
New Jersey: Atlantic City
New York: Rochester
Ohio: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo
Oregon: Portland, Eugene
Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh
South Carolina: Charleston, Columbia, Myrtle Beach
Tennessee: Nashville
Texas: Dallas, San Antonio
Utah: Salt Lake City
Virginia: Richmond
Washington: Seattle
Wisconsin: Milwaukee, Madison
 

'Outside Forces' Instigating Riots

Federal Law Enforcement Response
FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces Activated
Antifa - Drug Cartels - White Supremacists - Organized Retail Crime

Molotov cocktail-tossing lawyers tried to pass out explosives to protesters: cops
The two attorneys busted for throwing a Molotov cocktail through a police car window during protests in Brooklyn Friday night were trying pass out the explosive devices to demonstrators in the crowd, federal authorities said Monday.

Brooklyn community board member Colinford Mattis, 32, and his alleged accomplice, 31-year-old Urooj Rahman, were driving around in a tan minivan near a clash between police and demonstrators at the 88th Precinct station house in Fort Greene Saturday night, federal prosecutors for the Eastern District of New York said in a detention memo Monday.

A bystander snapped a photo of the pair in the car while they were allegedly trying to pass out the homemade explosive devices, according to the memo.

"Rahman attempted to distribute Molotov cocktails to the witness and others so that those individuals could likewise use the incendiary devices in furtherance of more destruction and violence," the witness later told authorities.

Images from the detention memo purport to show a masked Rahman clutching a Molotov cocktail made from a Bud Light bottle.

Several cops saw the caper and cornered the pair nearby, according to the memo. nypost.com

U.S. AG Releases Two Statements
Activating 56 Joint Terrorism TASK Forces Across U.S.
Attorney General William P. Barr's Statements on Riots and Domestic Terrorism
Federal law enforcement actions will be directed at apprehending and charging the violent radical agitators who have hijacked peaceful protest and are engaged in violations of federal law.

To identify criminal organizers and instigators, and to coordinate federal resources with our state and local partners, federal law enforcement is using our existing network of 56 regional FBI Joint Terrorism
Task Forces (JTTF). The violence instigated and carried out by Antifa and other similar groups in connection with the rioting is domestic terrorism and will be treated accordingly." justice.gov

Unfortunately, with the rioting that is occurring in many of our cities around the country, the voices of peaceful protest are being hijacked by violent radical elements. Groups of outside radicals and agitators are exploiting the situation to pursue their own separate and violent agenda. justice.gov

Officials blame differing groups of 'outsiders' for violence
As protests over the death of George Floyd grow in cities across the U.S., government officials have been warning of the "outsiders" - groups of organized rioters they say are flooding into major cities not to call for justice but to cause destruction.

But the state and federal officials have offered differing assessments of who the outsiders are. They've blamed left-wing extremists, far-right white nationalists and even suggested the involvement of drug cartels. These leaders have offered little evidence to back up those claims, and the chaos of the protests makes verifying identities and motives exceedingly difficult.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Saturday told reporters he'd heard unconfirmed reports that white supremacists were coming from elsewhere to stoke the violence and that even drug cartels "are trying to take advantage of the chaos." John Harrington, the state's commissioner of public safety, later said they had received intel reports on white supremacists.

"But I cannot say that we have confirmed observations of local law enforcement to say that we've seen cells of white supremacists in the area," he said Saturday.

But federal officials later pointed to "far left extremist groups." President Donald Trump alleged the violence was "being led by Antifa and other radical groups." Antifa, short for anti-fascists, is an umbrella term for far-left-leaning militant groups that resist neo-Nazis and white supremacists at demonstrations.

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf was even more vague, declining to point to any particular ideology in his assessment. His agency has heard that "a number of different groups are involved in these whether it's Antifa or it's others, frankly," he said. The groups appeared to be organized and using tactics that wouldn't normally happen in peaceful protest, he said, though he didn't elaborate.

In Detroit, 37 of the 60 people who were arrested in overnight protests did not live in the city - and many came from nearby suburbs, police Chief James Craig said Saturday. Although Detroit is about 80% black, many of those arrested were white.

"I think about a third of the people are from out of town here to make the city burn," said Justin Terrell, executive director of the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage. "It is just putting black people in a crossfire not just between fascists and anarchists - but putting us in a crossfire with the national guard."

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and black activists said while it was local protesters and groups that staged initial angry, but peaceful, demonstrations, it was agitators from elsewhere that strategically escalated the tension by causing damage and setting fires, they said. Their beliefs were reinforced by the large numbers of white people in the protests in Minneapolis. boston.com

USA Today: 'There are anarchists': Minnesota officials say 'outside agitators' are hijacking peaceful protests
Drifting out of the shadows in small groups, dressed in black, carrying shields and wearing knee pads, they head toward the front lines of the protest. Helmets and gas masks protect and obscure their faces, and they carry bottles of milk to counteract tear gas and pepper spray.

Most of them appear to be white. They carry no signs and don't want to speak to reporters. Trailed by designated "medics" with red crosses taped to their clothes, these groups head straight for the front lines of the conflict.

Night after night in this ravaged city, these small groups do battle with police and the National Guard, kicking away tear gas canisters and throwing back foam-rubber projects fired at them. Around them, fires break out. Windows are smashed. Parked cars destroyed. USA TODAY reporters have witnessed the groups on multiple nights, in multiple locations. Sometimes they threaten those journalists who photograph them destroying property.

The mayor and governor say outside agitators are hijacking peaceful protests over the death of George Floyd and literally fanning the flames of destruction. And experts say things will likely get worse in Minneapolis and in other cities seeing similar peaceful protests that turn violent like Los Angeles; Louisville, Kentucky; Des Moines, Iowa; Detroit, Atlanta; and Washington, D.C.

"The real hard-core guys, this is their job: They're involved in this struggle," said Adam Leggat, a former British Army counterterrorism officer who now works as a security consultant specializing in crowd management for the Densus Group. "They need protests on the street to give them cover to move in."

"I want to be very, very clear: The people that are doing this are not Minneapolis residents," Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said Saturday. 

"There are detractors. There are white supremacists. There are anarchists," Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said Saturday afternoon. usatoday.com

Cartels & White Supremacist - Organized Effort
Walz: White supremacist groups, drug cartels suspected at Minneapolis riots, but reports still unconfirmed
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said at a press conference early Saturday morning they have do not have confirmed reports, but they have gotten intel from national sources that it is the case. 

Walz said the widespread riots across the country appear to be part of a coordinated effort by professionals. "We're seeing evidence of some pretty sophisticated attempts to cause problems," the governor said.

Harrington said that while they have gotten reports of drug cartels "redirecting their sources to restore their drug markets" in the area amid the unrest, but that is a "secondary or tertiary concern as we're trying to deal with right now life and death situations on the street." fox10pheonix.com

"It gets worse than that," Walz said of the marauding racists. "The cartels, who are wondering if there was a break in their drug transmissions, are trying to take advantage of the chaos. That's why this situation is on a federal level."

Walz added he is working with the federal government to gather intelligence on who is taking part in the violence and whether they belong to organized groups. nypost.com

Minnesota AG Ellison says he has evidence of outsiders contributing to riots
While calling out 'endemic problem' with Minneapolis police
"We have evidence that outsiders have been present and, in some cases, have played a very negative role. But I've been talking with protesters and trying to get a sense of who some of these folks are and I've heard mixed things," Ellison said.

 "Some of the negative stuff has come from people in Minnesota and some of it has come from people on the outside. What I'd say is we've got enough to handle on our own and that what we really need to do is refocus on justice for Mr. Floyd. And the negative behavior, looting, arson, does not help us achieve that goal." foxnews.com

Denver Mayor: We've Watched & Intercepted Groups Coming into Denver

Chicago ORC - New York Antifa - Foreign Influence

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Sunday he "wouldn't be surprised if Antifa" was behind some of the actions in his city. "We don't have the specific information they're directly engaged, but we have intel, we have watched and intercepted, frankly, groups coming into Denver. We have confiscated weapons, including assault weapons, that were heading to the demonstrations."

In Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said looters organized across the city and possibly came in from outside: "There clearly was coordination, they were clearly listening to our radio traffic," she said. "The number of U-Haul trucks that magically showed up in front of stores, car caravans that dropped people off and broke windows, and then were hustling the goods out into the backs of the cars. Absolutely, it was organized -- there's no question whatsoever about that."

In New York, investigators are also searching social media to identify leaders who are trying to get protestors to gather to incite violence, a law enforcement official told CNN. Investigators there have seen antagonizers more affiliated with Antifa and far-left causes, and not necessarily white supremacist groups.

Allegations of foreign influence attempting to influence and stoke the disruption in the US have quickly followed the violence coming out of the protests. Rubio, who was appointed acting Intelligence Committee chairman earlier this month, tweeted Saturday he was seeing "VERY heavy social media activity on #protests & counter reactions from social media accounts linked to at least 3 foreign adversaries."

"Yes, we are seeing very active engagement with the issue from clusters of social accounts in the social media influence networks of Russia, Iran, and China," Kelly said. "Our team is actively monitoring the situation now, including growing activity around the 'Boogaloo' movement, which is pushing for a 'Second American Civil War.'" cnn.com
 

Two Target Stores Targeted by Protestors?
Twitter Posts Call Out Police & City Surveillance Support

Target Stores Targeted Because of Loss Prevention, PD Support & Discrimination Suits
Why Demonstrators Protesting the Death of George Floyd in Minneapolis Keyed In on Target's Two Stores
By Thursday morning, a Wendy's had crumbled, an AutoZone and a Dollar General were set ablaze and a Cub Foods, Dollar Tree and CVS had been ransacked.

But the Lake Street store that got the most attention, from both media and protesters, was Target, which was stripped bare. As demonstrations spilled over into St. Paul, the Midway Target store on University Avenue was subsequently looted, followed by chants from protestors of "I can't breathe" to police officers at the scene.

Target, which is headquartered in Minneapolis, was not chosen at random. Twin Cities locals explained the reasoning behind keying in on the chain on social media, which includes a hiring discrimination lawsuit and a history of funding and supporting local police.

Twitter Post:
"The people hit target so hard because that target funds the Minneapolis police department. They also denied service to protesters when they needed milk for those who were tear gassed. #GeorgeFloyd #icantbreathe" - kalon (@KALONSMERALDO) May 28, 2020

In 2004, Target donated $300,000 to the city's police department to set up surveillance cameras throughout downtown Minneapolis-reportedly covering a roughly 40-block radius-as part of its SafeZone Collaborative program. It later evolved into a nonprofit called the Downtown Improvement District, and while it no longer relies on Target's donations, Target still supports and hosts initiatives with police (like its decade-long Heroes and Helpers program). In 2011, Target established a forensics crime lab at its campus in Brooklyn Park, Minn., which creates high-resolution images from surveillance data collected by cameras. Minneapolis police told MPR News in 2011 that they don't use Target's forensic services often, but they sometimes do (free of charge).

Twitter Post:
Did you know that in 2004 Target spent 300k on cameras in downtown #Minneapolis to help MPD terrorize black + brown community members? And that Target actively funds the lie that cops exist to "protect communities"? pic.twitter.com/uQIKxumOX9 -- Denise (@denisecheeseman) May 28, 2020

In 2015, Target settled a $2.8 million hiring discrimination complaint filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC claimed the retailer had used three employee assessments that disproportionally weeded out applicants based on race, gender and ability.

Twitter Post:
Some context for people who don't live here: Target HQ is in Minneapolis. Lake St. Target, which got looted tonight, is literally Target's experimental site for loss prevention & surveillance policies geared toward poor people. Very few people in the neighborhood like that Target - Ian Coldwater (@IanColdwater) May 28, 2020

Following the protests at both locations Target closed 32 of its Minnesota stores. adweek.com

 

Deaths & Injuries
Police - Security Officers - Protestors

Security Officers - 1 Killed - 1 Critically Shot Friday Night in Oakland Riots

Detroit, MI: Gunman walks up to the car of a 21 yr old, killing 1 injuring another

Indianapolis riots: 2 people killed, multiple shootings amid Downtown violence

Oakland, CA: Contract Security Officer for the Federal Protective Service was killed and another injured in a shooting

Louisville, KY: One dead after police and national guard 'return fire' on crowd

Omaha, NE: 22-Year-Old Shot and Killed While Protesting Police Brutality

More than 4,400 arrested in protests nationwide

NYC: Around 600 arrested over the weekend - 40 cops injured - 50 police vehicles damaged

Washington, DC: 60 Secret Service members injured during George Floyd protests

Milwaukee police officer shot during protest, businesses damaged
 

Retailers Respond
Closing Hundreds of Stores

NRF Issues Statement on Incidents at Retail Stores
It is with deep dismay and shared outrage that our communities express their anger and frustration through peaceful protests over the unjustifiable death of George Floyd last week in Minneapolis.

Yet racial injustice continues. There is a real problem and divide in this country that we share the responsibility to address. It requires leadership in the municipal, state and federal levels of government, in our schools, our places of worship, our businesses and our homes, so we can work together - honestly, transparently and inclusively - to find solutions.

We must stand together to stop racial injustice. We must work together to create greater understanding of the challenges faced by African American men and women, young and old, in communities large and small. We urge people to stop looting and destruction under the name of protest. It denies access to goods, services and jobs for those who need help the most, and takes focus away from the conversation we must have if we are to heal these wounds - not with talk, but through action. nrf.com

Retailers respond to weekend protests
Over the weekend, several retail chains nationwide sustained damage during protests, some peaceful, some violent over police killings of Black Americans.

Among the locations caught in the melees was the Lake Street Target store in Minneapolis near where George Floyd died.

Target also closed another Minneapolis location, along with stores in Oakland, California, Atlanta, Chicago and Philadelphia "until further notice." Employees of these stores will be paid at elevated COVID-19 wages for up to 14 days for their scheduled shifts and can work at nearby stores, the company said in a statement.

Nordstrom closed all of its stores Sunday after stores, including one at the Grove shopping center in Los Angeles and its Seattle flagship, were damaged.

But both retailers joined Nike and others in keeping their focus on the reasons for the protest, rather than on the losses at stores.

"We are a community in pain," CEO Brian Cornell wrote in a separate statement posted to the Target site. "That pain is not unique to the Twin Cities - it extends across America." retaildive.com

Walmart shut hundreds of stores Sunday afternoon
Damage from protests kept dozens of Walmart stores closed all day Sunday and it's uncertain when they'll reopen, a company spokesman said. "What's disturbing over the last 24 hours is it isn't just at night," a Walmart spokesman told the Wall Street Journal on Sunday. "We've even had issues this morning in broad daylight. We want to make sure our associates are safe." apnews.com

Is looting covered by insurance? Depends on the business
Business insurance is similar to consumer car insurance: Basic liability is required by many landlords (though not all) in a lease agreement, protecting proprietors in the event that they face lawsuits from customers who are injured in their stores, among other legal claims. But it may be up to the individual business owners to decide how much insurance they want to buy to cover their inventory and equipment in case of theft, fire and other scenarios.

Large chains like Target, Starbucks and Apple use their deep pockets to buy sophisticated policies that cover the entire chain for losses stretching into the millions of dollars.

But for smaller businesses, the amount of coverage can vary widely in terms of deductibles and dollar limits, depending on the type of business, the value of the inventory and the depth of an owner's pockets. Since not all landlords require businesses to insure their inventory and equipment against loss, some local owners will end up having to cover all of the losses and repair costs on their own. finance.yahoo.com

'Please, I Don't Have Insurance': Businesses Plead With Protesters

NYC: Luxury stores looted in overnight protests in NYC as de Blasio says there's 'limited protest activity'

Los Angeles: Looting of Retail Takes Over L.A.'s George Floyd Protests Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs and Gucci were all early targets of looters, but many more were hit.

Cleveland Suburban shopping centers closed after downtown protests turn violent

Chicago Area closed 4 Suburban Malls amid threats of looting and vandalism

Austin, TX: Police responded to reports of looting at the Macy's Lakeline Mall

Bloomington, IL: Looters swarm Target, Walmart, other stores in Bloomington-Normal

Tampa, FL: Nearly 50 arrested after stores looted, burned during night of violent protests

Evanston, IL: Massive looting incident at Best Buy; 6 arrested

Target to temporarily close and adjust hours at 200 stores

CVS closes stores across 20 states. Call ahead, if you're planning on visiting one

Philadelphia: Center City retailers endure epic looting on top of coronavirus closures

Dallas: NorthPark and Galleria will stay closed Monday as other shopping districts clean up after protestors

Seattle: Downtown businesses assess damage, weigh reopening after nights of riots, looting and chaos

Texas issues disaster declaration over George Floyd protests Sunday

Hayward, CA: Suspected CVS looter shot by Hayward Police, three others arrested

Sacramento, CA: Police arrest 22 for looting, 3 for failure to disperse from downtown, midtown Sacramento
 

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D&D Daily Publishing Note: LPNN's #1 LP Leader Video Postponed Until Next Week
Out of sensitivity for recent events and to allow us to fully focus our coverage on the nationwide protests, looting and civil unrest, we will be holding off on releasing the #1 video. In the meantime, feel free to catch up on the full list so far of LPNN's Top 10 LP and Vendor videos of all time here.
 

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Last week's #1 article --

As Minneapolis Protests Escalate, Businesses are Picking Up the Pieces
Multiple nights of protests in Minneapolis - in some cases leading to rioting, looting and numerous fires - caused a path of damage that stretched for miles on East Lake Street.

Fire crews responded to dozens of incidents along the street, including at least 16 structure fires, since Wednesday during the protests over the death of George Floyd while he was in custody of Minneapolis police.

Below are images of the damage that was left behind Wednesday into Thursday, from which businesses are now picking up the pieces.  foxbusiness.com