Natasha Moustache / Getty ImagesA vehicle set on fire explodes during riots on May 30, 2020, in Chicago. (Natasha Moustache / Getty Images)
As protests erupted across the country following the death of George Floyd, many of them were followed by incredibly violent riots.
The destruction was especially present in the city of Chicago, whose mayor was dismissive of the problem altogether.
In leaked audio of a May 31 conference call, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was recorded telling an alderman he was “full of s—” when he demanded answers for how Chicago would respond to the devastation.
WARNING: The following audio contains graphic language that some viewers will find offensive.
.@LoriLightfoot: “I think you’re 100% full of shit, is what I think.”
Alderman Lopez: “F— you, then.”@chicagosmayor and an alderman exchange profanities over concerns about looters in leaked audio.pic.twitter.com/VteElUT096
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) June 9, 2020
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“Half our neighborhoods are already obliterated,” Ald. Raymond Lopez, a known critic of Lightfoot according to the Washington Examiner, said.
“We have to come up with a better plan because, my fear is, once they’re done looting and rioting and whatever’s going to happen tonight, God help us, what happens when they start going after residents? Going into the neighborhoods?”
Lopez then gave a chilling description of the realities many of his constituents face.
Was Mayor Lightfoot’s response to the Ald. Lopez’s questions acceptable?
“I’ve got gang bangers with AK-47s walking around right now, just waiting to settle some scores. What are we going to do and what do we tell our residents other than ‘good faith people stand up’? It’s not going to be enough.”
Instead of answering the questions, Lightfoot attempted to move on with the discussion without addressing the alderman.
Lopez wasn’t going to let that slide and demanded an answer, which prompted Lightfoot to announce “I think you’re 100 percent full of s—.” Lopez responded which some profanities of his own.
On the very next day, Lopez’s prediction came true and the looting began to spill over into Chicago neighborhoods, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Compared to many other cities that have also suffered, Chicago riots and lootings have been especially pervasive.
Businesses were looted, people were shot and buildings were set on fire in great numbers as the riots spread across the city.
IT TOOK 3 MINUTES: A crowd broke into a liquor store at Cermak & Cicero on Chicago’s far west side and began looting. Police quickly arrived and they scattered. This really shows you how quickly these guys move – and how hard they can be to stop. pic.twitter.com/JY0sGxgaIk
— Ben Bradley (@BenBradleyTV) June 1, 2020
Between May 31 and June 1, Chicago firefighters responded to 85 calls around the city.
“Each call represented retailers, who once had thriving business that were first ravaged by looters, then turned into infernos,” WBBM-TV reported.
Thursday marked Chicago’s most violent day in 60 years, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, as 18 murders happened within a span of 24 hours.
In a statement released on Friday, experts at the Anderson Economic Group estimated that the looting damage done between May 29 and June 3 in America’s 2o largest metropolitan areas, including Chicago, exceeds $400 million.
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