BOSTON (WHDH) - Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday slammed the looters and destructive individuals who smashed storefronts and set fires in Boston on Sunday night following a day of peaceful protests, calling them “criminals and cowards” for putting the safety of the city and its residents at risk.
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“I want to thank everyone who marched and exercised their right to free speech safely last night…I want to thank everyone who made their voices heard with the safety of those around you in mind,” Baker said during a news conference at the State House. “To the criminals and cowards that tarnished the night’s peaceful protest, I expect your day in court will come soon.”
Thousands of peaceful protesters marched through the streets of Boston to express anger over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died last week after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on his neck as he pleaded for air. But when a march from Roxbury to the State House ended, and the darkness of night overtook the city, chaos ensued.
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Protesters threw bricks and bottles at police, smashed several storefronts, vandalized monuments, torched a police cruiser, and set many small fires, officials said. Two 7NEWS trucks were also damaged.
“The destruction of property, the looting, the criminal attempts to injure law enforcement are unacceptable,” Baker said. “The people of Massachusetts cannot let these individuals achieve their goal to sew chaos into the fabric of what is an important effort and movement.”
Mayor Martin J. Walsh condemned the “attack” Boston amid the COVID-19 pandemic, saying it’s the “last thing” the city needed.
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Fifty-three people were arrested in connection with the violence.
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