Ed already wrote about what happened last night in New York City but I wanted to create a companion to his story to include some of the dozens of videos showing the looting, arson, vandalism, and attacks on police officers which took place around the country last night. It’s one thing to read about it but it’s something else to actually see what one reporter called “complete anarchy” break out in the major American cities.

To be clear, these were not a few random individuals acting badly, at least not in New York City. These were organized gangs who were on the street for only one reason: To break in and steal as much as they could get their hands on using the protests as a kind of cover for their activity.

The best on-scene reporting I saw last night came from this Daily Beast reporter who saw it all unfold before her eyes. It started when the march of actual protesters turned one way and the looters took a different route.

Weird moment – the protest just split into two groups at 6th at 31st. Organizers called for "peaceful protesters" to turn east. A very large contingent decided to keep heading south. https://t.co/BEDQrKbiSH

— Rachel Olding (@rachelolding) June 2, 2020

And just like that, Manhattan protest has turned ugly. Three stores smashed, Duane Reade being looted in front of me pic.twitter.com/wq44W27GyB

— Rachel Olding (@rachelolding) June 2, 2020

Another store being looted in front of me on 5th Ave New York. This was a peaceful protest literally 2 mins ago then a few groups of kids separated and started destroying stuff pic.twitter.com/40kIqHLbSg

— Rachel Olding (@rachelolding) June 2, 2020

Uncontrollable amounts of looting going on now at 14th St and fifth Ave. Stores being empties by hundreds of people. pic.twitter.com/0bvAu95Mj9

— Rachel Olding (@rachelolding) June 2, 2020

Again, this appeared pre-planned and organized.

Feels like a very organized effort tonight – kids have turned up with hammers and big bags, they have spotters on the corners and cars ready to go. Group of about 500 kids now running up Fifth Ave looting whatever they want pic.twitter.com/vP97YCLis7

— Rachel Olding (@rachelolding) June 2, 2020

The NYPD were no where in sight.

Now I'm watching a fucking Lego store being smashed open with hammers. Haven't seen a cop car for about half an hour pic.twitter.com/8A3Qjhv2BH

— Rachel Olding (@rachelolding) June 2, 2020

Many of the looters started arriving in cars.

Kids are splitting off into smaller groups in every direction around Midtown and looting en masse – some are getting in and out of cars to keep loading them up. I've seen two people who were filming the looting have their phones grabbed and smashed.

— Rachel Olding (@rachelolding) June 2, 2020

Just watched six kids jump out of a BMW SUV and run into a GameStop on Broadway and W 33rd that was looted last night too. Chris, who has lived above the shop for 40 years, was watching. "I've never seen anything like it."

— Rachel Olding (@rachelolding) June 2, 2020

Other people were witnessing the same thing. The looters arrived with crowbars to remove plywood so they could get to the glass behind it.

Right now in midtown looters breached the Microsoft store in under a minute with hands and crowbars – dozens emptied the store in multiple waves. NYPD gained entry from the rear eventually placing one under. pic.twitter.com/TtMjuF8tF1

— Joe Marino (@joemarino_) June 2, 2020

One of the dozens of people looting the store got arrested.

NYPD made entry and arrested one suspect while looters waited outside, one throwing an asp and a plastic barrier. pic.twitter.com/PFJn6c4BO0

— Joe Marino (@joemarino_) June 2, 2020

As police would control one scene and make a few arrests, the looters were on to their next target:

West 34th street is out of control after FootLocker was looted with ten under dozens of looters swarmed 34th street and took to a Sprint store 50 feet from the Foot Locker where detectives were still processing the scene. pic.twitter.com/XHQSG2sNqq

— Joe Marino (@joemarino_) June 2, 2020

Here’s the FootLocker:

Reporting from 716 Broadway at a #footlocker where swarms of looters grabbed handfuls of clothes and shoes just moments before the NYC curfew began.#protest #looting #nyc pic.twitter.com/6CqQvYz26n

— Dean_Moses (@Dean_Moses) June 2, 2020

Best Buy also got hit.

Amid reports of looting in multiple locations across the city Monday evening, our crews spotted people looting a Best Buy in Midtown a few hours ago. You can see police respond in the clip. pic.twitter.com/NdLBqgarB2

— Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) June 2, 2020

Looters arriving in SUVs:

Looters are literally pulling up in nice cars and cleaning out stores in #Soho. What #Curfew? #RIOT #LootingIsNotProtesting #GeorgeFloyd #NYCPROTEST #NYCRiots #NYPD @NBCNewYork pic.twitter.com/DBnKsEqkpu

— Keith Feldman (@NBCproducer) June 2, 2020

The Daily Beast reporter described the scene as “complete anarchy.”

It was like Mario Kart on the streets too. Dozens of $200k Mercs racing each other, nearly hitting people, only stopping to load up with bags of stolen stuff and speed on to the next spot.

— Rachel Olding (@rachelolding) June 2, 2020

Some of the looters were still trying to make some loose connection to George Floyd.

Asked two young guys, who said they were from the Bronx, why they were out here looting and destroying shit. One guy: "why the fuck not". The other one: "they killed an innocent black man so the whole world has to go crazy."

— Rachel Olding (@rachelolding) June 2, 2020

Meanwhile, looting was happening in other cities too, though it never got as out of control as it did in New York:

Looting in Hollywood. Rite Aid was just hit. pic.twitter.com/sFNnoNBBaQ

— Gadi Schwartz (@GadiNBC) June 2, 2020

VIDEO: Looter tackled to the ground by police. We are seeing law enforcement more aggressive today in stopping looters. Many looters have been getting into cars in groups and driving around breaking into businesses throughout LA. https://t.co/KEbNy7SnKw pic.twitter.com/gBOLvkiiMt

— FOX 11 Los Angeles (@FOXLA) June 2, 2020

VIDEO: As we watched a man jump out of a Walgreens that was being looted, he’s running away from a @LASDHQ deputy when it appears two off-duty or plainclothes law enforcement personal jump out of their Jeep and tackle/hold the suspect down. #looting #LosAngelesProtests pic.twitter.com/FiUlZnrYQP

— Jeff Paul (@Jeff_Paul) June 2, 2020

And in St. Louis, where four police officers were shot last night, the looting turned to arson:

#BREAKING 7-Eleven at 17th and Pine west of downtown St. Louis is on fire. About two dozen people were seen looting the store before the fire broke out. pic.twitter.com/1RRsY2iwXb

— Jacob Kuerth (@jacobkuerth) June 2, 2020

It happened in Chicago too, where two looters were found hiding in a liquor store hours later when the owners were trying to clean up.

The violence went far beyond property damage last night. In Buffalo, someone drove through a group of police officers, one of whom went under the car. He has a broken leg and a shattered pelvis but is expected to live. The car was stopped and the driver has been arrested:

Just happened: a protest in a car run over a group of cops in Buffalo NY…Some of them might be dead

#BlackLivesMatter #protests2020 pic.twitter.com/UraxbRhMuV

— Yousef NH (@YousefNH2) June 2, 2020

And in New York City, another officer was hit by a speeding car and thrown into the air. Incredibly, he is expected to survive. The people responsible for this have not been caught.

VIDEO: An NYPD sergeant was struck and critically injured by a hit-and-run driver following the looting of a Bronx pawn shop Monday night. The driver fled the scene, the cop was transported conscious and alert. pic.twitter.com/AAK6PzLYZx

— Joe Marino (@joemarino_) June 2, 2020

In Las Vegas, an officer was shot in the head, apparently while trying to arrest a suspect from a crowd that was throwing rocks and bottles at police. That officer is now on life support. The suspect was arrested.

#BREAKING: @LVMPD sources confirm with @8NewsNow that the officer who was shot in the head is on life support at @UMCSN right now. Source also says the officer was in a fight with another suspect when someone walked up from behind and shot the officer in the head. #8NN pic.twitter.com/t8CX6p4Wpm

— Orko Manna (@orko_manna) June 2, 2020

And as Ed mentioned earlier, at least four officers were shot in St. Louis. And that’s still not the end of it. Police officer and business owners also shot several looting suspects last night:

• Another officer in St. Louis shot a looting suspect after being shot at.
• In Hayward, CA police shot a man last night after responding to a looting call.
• There was a similar police shooting of a looter in Vallejo, CA, north of San Francisco.
• In Philadelphia an alleged looter was shot and killed after he tried to break into a firing range.

I’ve seen plenty of people on Twitter in the last few days making the case that property destruction doesn’t matter that much in comparison to the value of human life. If you believe that then you should support putting an immediate end to the looting and chaos we saw last night which has already resulted in deaths and serious injuries around the country of both police officers and looters. This has to end now before more people are hurt or killed.