BLM organizer: Looting is reparations

Black Lives Matter organizer calls Chicago looting ‘reparation’ | New York Post - Jorge Fitz-Gibbon:

August 11, 2020 - "A Chicago Black Lives Matter organizer defended the widespread weekend looting in the heart of the Windy City.... 'I don’t care if somebody decides to loot a Gucci’s or a Macy’s or a Nike because that makes sure that that person eats. That makes sure that that person has clothes,' Ariel Atkins said at a rally outside the South Loop police station Monday, local outlets reported. 'That’s a reparation,' Atkins said. 'Anything they want to take, take it because these businesses have insurance.'

"She also criticized the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who took to Twitter earlier Monday to denounce the 'pillaging, robbing & looting'.... 'Jesse Jackson has nothing to do with Black Lives Matter,' Atkins shot back. 'Jesse Jackson was not there for the creation of Black Lives Matter. Jesse Jackson can keep his opinions to himself.'

"The rally was held in the wake of a violent weekend that saw 100 arrests and 13 police officers injured in clashes with looters after a 20-year-old man was shot and wounded by cops on Sunday. Police identified the man as Latrell Allen, who was hit in the shoulder after opening fire on cops, according to authorities."

Read more: https://nypost.com/2020/08/11/black-lives-matter-organizer-calls-chicago-looting-reparation/

BLM organizer who called looting ‘reparations’ dismisses peaceful protesting | New York Post - Lee Brown:

August 13, 2020 - "The Chicago Black Lives Matter organizer who justified looting as 'reparation' has doubled down — insisting this week that even calling someone a criminal is 'based on racism'.' Ariel Atkins told WBEZ that her group '100 percent' supports the violent looters who trashed chunks of the Windy City on Monday, again repeating her claim that it is 'reparations.'

“'The whole idea of criminality is based on racism anyway,' she told the NPR station. 'Because criminality is punishing people for things that they have needed to do to survive or just the way that society has affected them with white supremacist BS,' she said.... "Atkins attacked Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot — who is black — for calling the looting 'straight-up felony, criminal conduct.' 'It’s like her deciding what is criminal and what isn’t,' Atkins said.... 

"Atkins dismissed the idea that civil rights had 'ever gotten wins' from 'peaceful protests.' 'Winning has come through revolts. Winning has come through riots,' she said.

"Atkins had no sympathy for the businesses damaged in the spree, which included a small convenience store likely to go out of business after being looted twice in 40 days. 'The fact that anybody gives a s–t about these businesses over what is happening in this city right now and the pain that people are in and the suffering that is taking place, I don’t care,' she admitted."

Read more: https://nypost.com/2020/08/13/blm-organizer-who-called-looting-reparations-doubles-down/