Kayleigh McEnany Makes Questionable Claims In First Interview Since Leaving White House

In her first interview since her departure from the White House, former press secretary Kayleigh McEnany claimed she could never have foreseen the violence that erupted at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

“I think at the beginning of the day before everyone went to the rally, everyone was expecting peace,” McEnany said, in an excerpt of the interview on Fox News’ “The Faulkner Focus” released Monday. 

Read More

Live Updates: Snapchat to permanently terminate Trump's account following Capitol riot

Following an indefinite suspension of President Trump's account last week, Snapchat announced Wednesday that its decision is permanent. "In the interest of public safety, and based on his attempts to spread misinformation, hate speech, and incite violence, 

Read More

London riots police 'prepare to use plastic bullets' if violence continues

Plastic bullets have been considered by police chiefs as a tactic to bring the unprecedented rioting in London under control.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stephen Kavanagh said Scotland Yard was "not going to throw 180 years of policing with the community away" as the prospect of using the ammunition for the first time at a British disturbance was raised.

"The use of any tactics will be considered carefully," he said. "That does not mean we are scared of using any tactic."

Meanwhile, CCTV images capturing people police want to speak to in connection with the riots have been released by Scotland Yard.

Detectives leading the operation against the wave of disorder across London vowed to bring those caught on camera who were proven guilty of crimes to justice.

Images showed some young men and women did not even bother to hide their identities as they allegedly looted areas of Croydon and Lambeth.

Asked about other tactics, such as plastic bullets or baton rounds, Mr Kavanagh said: "Through the night the Commissioner did absolutely consider that as one of the tactics available to use, a tactic used if deemed necessary.

"These are very fast-moving mobs - by the time we get baton guns there, they will have moved on.

London riots: Mark Duggan 'died of gunshot wound

Shops such as Tesco and some banks in the Jewellery Quarter decided to close from mid-afternoon.


The decision follows a night of violence in the city with a police station set on fire and stores looted.


About 130 people were arrested, some of whom West Midlands Chief Constable Chris Sims described as "astonishingly young".


Retail Birmingham, a group which looks after shopkeepers' interests, said it was down to the individual retailers about whether or not they closed.


A spokesperson said they had held a meeting with police earlier on Tuesday.


"Following meetings with West Midlands Police today, Retail Birmingham has been advised to inform you that there is no direct request for shops to close early today, however many may choose to," the spokesman.


It was really scary to be honest and I just left straight away”


Store owner Lucian Antoin
"We have been advised that it is 'business as usual' in the city centre and there will be a significantly increased police presence within the city centre until further notice, to reassure the public and businesses."


Some staff at Birmingham City Council were allowed to leave for their homes early.


Business owners along Colmore Row in Birmingham were cleaning up with some, such as Sainsbury's and Tesco closing early on Tuesday.


Newsagents Mills City Express, which was attacked on Monday night, closed early.


Mr Duggan was killed by armed officers in Ferry Lane, Tottenham, after a minicab he was travelling in was stopped as part of a pre-planned operation.


Colin Sparrow, deputy senior investigator for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), told the hearing that the 'complex investigation' could go on for six months.
Coroner for the Northern District of Greater London Andrew Walker adjourned the hearing to December 12th and offered his sympathies to the family of Mr Duggan and his fiancee Semone Wilson.
'I would like to reassure members of the family that we will be working closely with Mr Duggan's family and the IPCC throughout the process,' he added.
It has recently been revealed that a 26-year-old man shot in a car during riots in Croydon has died in hospital.

London Riots 16,000 officers to police on streets

Government's emergency committee, Cobra, met in the wake of Monday's violence, which spread across London and prompted unrest in other cities.

PM David Cameron pledged to restore order, recalling Parliament on Thursday in response to the "sickening scenes".

The Met Police, which is drafting in support from 30 other forces, says it will consider using plastic bullets.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stephen Kavanagh said use of the ammunition - never before fired to deal with riots in England - would be "considered carefully".

But he added: "That does not mean we are scared of using any tactic."

Acting Commissioner Tim Godwin had earlier ruled out calling in the Army.

However, the force has cancelled all leave and called in Special constables and community support officers to ensure five times the usual number of officers for a Tuesday will be on duty.

Meanwhile, Scotland Yard said a 26-year-old man found shot in a car in Croydon, amid rioting in the south London town, had died in hospital.

This is a mindless minority of thugs who think it is acceptable to cause damage, to steal goods and property just because they want to.

"What we have seen on an unprecedented and unparalled level is looting and arson of those buildings, some of which have been burnt to the ground.

"What we should remember is that this was not just shops but people were living above them.

"These people have no regard at all for human life or the danger that they were putting those families in."

A large uniformed police presence was seen in Croydon to reassure the public and CCTV images were being sifted to identify culprits.

Mr Fisher said he hoped the courts would punish them by "locking them up and throwing away the key".

He added that the Metropolitan Police were "horribly stretched" but said they were "absolutely brilliant" in their response to the disorder.

Reinforcements from police were asked for and received but arrived too late to save some properties from being attacked.

Mr Fisher denied suggestions that there was a policy to sacrifice one part of Croydon to protect other more affluent areas.

He said: "There is no doubt that this has damaged the image of Croydon but we have bounced back from the Second World War.

"I'm confident Croydon will be rebuilt and that the community will work very well together."

It took years to build Croydon's businesses but only hours to destroy some of them, Mr Fisher said.

Council chief executive Jon Rouse warned against anyone thinking of joining any further riots.

He said: "You are attacking your community and, secondly, you are likely to get caught because we have got so many CCTV images that will be followed up that will result in you having a criminal record."

Commander Simon Foy said the man was found inside the car last night and taken to a south London hospital, where he died this morning.

Two others in their late 20s have been arrested for handling stolen goods and taken to a south London police station, he added.

Officers from the force's Trident unit are investigating.

Sony warehouse in London Large blaze engulfs

Sony has warned deliveries of CDs and DVDs will be affected after rioters set fire to a key warehouse in Enfield, north London.

The three-storey, 20,000 square metre site is Sony's only such depot for CDs and DVDs in Britain.

"There will likely be some impact on deliveries," said a Sony spokeswoman.

She added that the extent of the fire could not be assessed because it was still burning and it was not possible to enter the building.

:: Intercontinental Hotels Group says its profits have risen by 23% on the back of strong bookings in the US and China,

The chain also said revenue per available room (RevPAR - a key industry measure) grew 6.7% over the first half of the year.

"Whilst we continue to monitor the uncertain economic outlook, we look forward with confidence in the currently favourable hotel trading environment," said new Chief Executive Richard Solomons.

:: Bakery chain Greggs has admitted recent trading conditions have been "more challenging than expected".

Its pretax profit for the first half of the year fell to £17.3m from £18.6m in the same period a year ago.

Eyewitnesses described how they saw a gang of about 20 looters leaving the warehouse with electrical goods before the fire took hold.

A LFB spokesman said: "We were called just before midnight to a warehouse in Solar Way, Enfield.

"Eight fire engines are in attendance and around 40 firefighters have been fighting the fire.

"They are making steady progress and will remain on the scene into the morning.

"There was quite a lot of black smoke and the building has partially collapsed into itself."

Around 200 people staying at a hotel next door to the distribution centre were evacuated as the blaze took hold.

Paul Lewis, a journalist for the Guardian, told the BBC that large plumes of smoke could be seen coming from the 70-metre building which had partially collapsed.

"This is further evidence of the riot spreading in all directions really," he said.

A eyewitness, named as "Tommy", also told the BBC how he saw a number of looters leaving the warehouse with electrical goods before the blaze took hold.

He said he was punched by the culprits as the fled the scene.

Scotland Yard confirmed officers were working with colleagues from LFB at the scene of the fire.

Social Media Leaders Facebook and Twitter are?

The answer is more nuanced than that question makes it sound. It’s hard to say anything for sure about events in another country an ocean away, but it looks like what’s happening in England right now is a combination of sincere frustration and out-and-out hooliganism.

To start with, the tension has been building in North London, where police and the black community have been at odds for decades. The police have been trying to crack down on gun crime, but the trouble goes back as far as the ‘80s, when the Broadwater Farm riots broke out in response to a death in the black community stemming from a police incident.

Three days of rioting is astonishing, especially when the chaos has roots in a peaceful protest. But not all the rioters are expressing indignation. With the widespread looting of businesses a considerable distance from the epicenter of the initial uprising, you know there are opportunists at work. These are people with no connection to or concern about what happened when police shot and killed Mark Duggan; they’re simply hoods looking to cause trouble for fun and maybe steal some shoes while they’re at it.

The latest reports also say that the rioters have been organizing via Twitter and by using their Blackberry devices. These social technologies seem to be the latest way to help stir up trouble, and unfortunately, the kids using this tech seem to have a better grasp of how it works than the adults that are supposed to be policing them. However, social media has also proven to be an effective way to track down rioters and bring them to justice, as seen following this year's hockey riots in Vancouver.

As for the riots themselves, there may be a point to be made about the actions of the police, but when violence like this erupts, the dialogue gets strained. The best-case scenario is that the government puts time and energy into fixing the situation and the relationship between police and the black community in Tottenham and around London, but you can’t help wishing there was a more positive process to that goal.

As for the shooting of Mark Duggan, there’s still a lot of information left to surface. For now, it seems as if the man was carrying an illegal firearm, but didn’t discharge it. In other words, the police were probably wrong to use lethal force, even though they had targeted a dangerous person.

Facebook, Twitter and other social media have inspired protests in Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Iran, Algeria, Morocco, Yemen, Jordan and even faraway China.

Social media is unleashing movements for peace, democracy and freedom in a region of the world that essentially seemed like it was content to live without them.

Social media is changing the Middle East – perhaps it will have a similar positive effect on politics in the West – promoting a more vibrant democracy that includes participation of a younger generation – one that does not currently vote enough to sustain a true democracy.

In the end, violence and death are regrettable; we all hope for peace and justice. Whatever the final outcome of the 2011 riots in London, moments like these leave everyone frustrated and saddened. Here’s to a swift restoration of peace on the streets of London.

Advertisement:Valentine's Day Celebrations And Gifts For Your Lovely Personality, Save 70.0% on select products from BALEAF with promo code 70FKOUX3, through 1/31 while supplies last.,  Jewellery and Clothes of First Ladies, 

London riots: breakdown of Monday night's violence

Rioting and looting spread across and beyond London overnight as hooded youths set fire to cars and buildings, smashed shop windows and hurled bottles and stones at police in a third night of violence in Britain's worst unrest in decades.

Prime Minister David Cameron cut short his holiday to fly home to tackle the violence, which appeared to be led by mobs of young people who coordinated their attacks through mobile phones, and spread to the cities of Birmingham, Liverpool and Bristol late last night.

Many of the looters came from areas of high unemployment that are also suffering from cuts in social services and said they felt alienated from society. Police and politicians said they were simply criminals.

"It's been building up for years. All it needed was a spark," said on young man in a baseball cap surrounded by other youths in Hackney in east London. "We ain't got no jobs, no money. . . . We heard that other people were getting things for free, so why not us?"

The violence erupted late on Saturday in London's northern Tottenham district when a peaceful protest over the police shooting of a suspect two days earlier was followed by outbreaks of looting and arson.

Croydon, south London

A string of cars and buildings were set alight by gangs of youths. A 26-year-old man was injured in a shooting, while Reeves, a family furniture business that has stood in the area for more than 100 years, was gutted following a massive blaze. A woman was filmed jumping from a building which had been set on fire by rioters

Ealing, west London

Locals reported similar scenes of violence with groups of youths congregating in Haven Green park opposite Ealing Broadway Tube, throwing bricks at local shops, starting fires in the street and torching cars.

Fulham, west London

Youngsters threw a bicycle under a bus to block a road while they looted Curry’s, the electrical store. Helicopters circled the area throughout the night.

Hammersmith, west London

Further reports of looting. Shopkeepers in Shepherd’s Bush barricaded their businesses to try to keep out troublemakers.

Clapham, south London

Up to 1000 looters preyed on shops causing widespread disruption. Youths raided a Debenhams store and a number shops in Lavender Hill, while some broke into a fancy dress store near Clapham Junction stealing masks to conceal their identities. Looters were heard shouting “I’ve got jewellery, what have you got?” Scotland Yard said armoured police vehicles were used in Lavender Hill to push back more than 150 people in the area.

Bethnal Green, east London

More than 100 people looted a Tesco premises and two officers were injured. Police said there had also been looting in Stratford High Street, Newham.

Lewisham, south London

The Metropolitan Police said roaming groups of youths were also involved in disorder in a number of locations in the area.

Woolwich, south London

A large gang gathered outside the Stone Lane Retail Park branch of PC World last night, trying to force open the doors. Within minutes of gaining entry, large flat screen TVs and other electronic goods were being carted out.

Camden and Chalk Farm, north London

A number of officers were also called to Camden in north London to deal with troublemakers. Rioters smashed windows of a bicycle shop.

Enfield, north London

Around 40 firefighters tackled a large blaze, reported to have been started by looters, at a Sony warehouse in Solar Way.

Liverpool

Violence flared in Liverpool overnight for up to five hours as hundreds of rioters marauded through the streets to the south of the city centre. Cars and wheelie bins were set alight on a trail of destruction which stretched from the city centre to Toxteth, Dingle and Wavertree. The first reports of disorder came in at 10pm and calm was not restored until about 3am.

Birmingham

West Midlands Police said around 100 arrests were made after rioters rampaged across Birmingham city centre and some surrounding areas. Hundreds of youths gathered in the city's main retail area close to the Bullring shopping mall, which closed its doors early in anticipation of violence, while there were reports that a police station in Handsworth was set on fire.

Bristol

More than 150 young rioters also caused disruption in the areas of St Paul's and Stokes Croft in Bristol, with police urging members of the public to stay away from the city centre.

Hundreds arrested as London riots spread

The violence and arson attacks that have rattled north London since the weekend have now moved across all parts of the capital and are spreading on a smaller scale to other British cities, the first time the recent unrest has flared outside the U.K.'s capital.

The wave of rioting now entering its third day was sparked by the shooting death of 29-year-old Mark Duggan in the Tottenham section of North London on Thursday. Angry protesters demonstrated against the fatal shooting in the multi-ethnic neighborhood on Saturday, and the march soon degenerated into chaos.

After spreading across London Monday, violence soon ignited in the British cities of Birmingham, Bristol and Liverpool.

As buildings, vehicles and garbage dumps are being set ablaze, many sections of London have descended into chaos -- an unsettling sight less than a year before the 2012 Olympics take over the capital.

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron has cut his summer vacation in Italy short in order to chair a meeting of the government's emergency committee early Tuesday.

London's Ambulance Service said it had treated 16 patients, of whom 15 were hospitalized. Police said 334 people had been arrested and 69 people charged with offenses, and a 26-year-old man is in a serious condition in the hospital after being shot in Croydon Monday.

The violence started on Saturday night in Tottenham in north London following protests over the fatal shooting of a 29-year-old black man, Mark Duggan, by police.

Tottenham is an impoverished area with an ethnically diverse population, a large black community and a history of unrest. Some residents resent police behaviour, including the use of stop and search powers, which they say are primarily targeted at black youths.

In Peckham, flames leapt into the air from a torched building, while rubble was strewn across the street. People walked in and out of shops looting.

Dozens of riot police were deployed on the streets of Hackney after police cars were damaged, buses attacked and shops looted.

In Enfield, firefighters were tackling a blaze at a Sony warehouse on Tuesday.

In Notting Hill in west London, rampagers forced their way into an exclusive restaurant, The Ledbury, before stealing diners' phones, plates off the tables and attempting to take the till.

But in a sign that the unrest had spread beyond the capital, attackers smashed shops and looted property in the central England city of Birmingham.

West Midlands Police confirmed they had made 87 arrests as youths ran amok in Birmingham centre overnight, smashing shop windows and looting merchandise. The force also said that a police station was on fire.

Liverpool police said a small number of vehicles were set on fire and reported some criminal damage. They said officers were responding to a number of isolated outbreaks of disorder," including vehicles set ablaze and buildings attacked in the city's southern neighbourhoods.

Police reported "copy-cat violence" in Bristol in the southwest and urged people to avoid the city centre after 150 rioters went on the rampage in "volatile scenes''.

Al Jazeera correspondent Barnaby Philips, reporting from Tottenham, said there was anguish and dismay about what had happened over the weekend.

People realise that jobs, property and investments have been damaged for years to come, and they are very distraught about it. Thankfully Tottenham is calm as of now."

Crisis meeting

Meanwhile, the prime minister's office said Cameron, who has faced media criticism for being away on holiday during the riots, would cut short his trip and return to London to chair a crisis meeting on the unrest.

"The violence we've seen, the looting we've seen, the thuggery we've seen, this is sheer criminality ... these people will be brought to justice, they will be made to face the consequences of their actions," said Theresa May, the interior minister, who also cut short her holiday because of the riots.

"It was needless, opportunistic theft and violence, nothing more, nothing less. It is completely unacceptable," said Nick Clegg, Britain's deputy prime minister, during a visit to Tottenham.

Scotland Yard commander Christine Jones said Monday night's events were "simply inexcusable". At least 35 police officers were injured in the unrest at the weekend. An 11-year-old boy was among those arrested.

Tim Godwin, the acting Metropolitan Police Commissioner, earlier urged parents to "start contacting their children" to find out where they were before slamming "spectators getting in the way of the police operations."

Violent skirmishes have taken place between police and rioters. Al Jazeera's Charlie Angela reports from Hackney.

As police struggled to contain the spiralling disorder, they ordered London football clubs to call off matches.

The London police force has been criticised for its handling of recent large protests against the austerity measures, and its chief and the top counter-terrorism officer recently quit over revelations in the News Corp phone-hacking scandal.

While Britain's politicians were quick to blame petty criminals for the violence, neighbourhood residents said anger at high unemployment and cuts in public services, coupled with resentment of the police, had played a significant role.

"Tottenham is a deprived area. Unemployment is very, very high ... they are frustrated," Uzodinma Wigwe, 49, who was made redundant from his job as a cleaner recently, said.

The riots come at a time of deepening gloom in Britain as the pain from economic stagnation is exacerbated by deep public spending cuts and tax rises aimed at eliminating a budget deficit that peaked at more than 10 per cent of GDP.

Very few details of Duggan's death on Thursday have been released. Police said initially an officer was briefly hospitalised after the shooting and media reports said a bullet had been found lodged in the officer's radio.

Although a gun was recovered from the scene, The Guardian newspaper reported that the bullet in the radio was police-issue, throwing doubt on speculation that Duggan had fired at an officer.

Britain's police watchdog is investigating the incident and has not commented on the report.

Police Chief Says Restoring 'Calm' After London Riot is Priority

Police in London are in the process of “restoring calm” to an area of the U.K. capital after rioting led to 26 officers being injured and 42 arrests.

Metropolitan Police officers faced “extreme violence” during the disturbances in Tottenham, in the north of the city, late yesterday in which vehicles and buildings were set on fire, Commander Adrian Hanstock said in a televised press conference today. London Fire Brigade said it received 264 emergency calls from the area during the riots.

Trouble flared after a peaceful protest by relatives and friends of a man shot dead during a police operation in the area last week was “hijacked by troublemakers,” Hanstock said.

“There was no indication that the protest would deteriorate into the levels of criminal and violent disorder that we saw,” Hanstock said. “We believe that certain elements, who were not involved with the vigil, took the opportunity to commit disorder and physically attack police officers, verbally abuse fire brigade personnel and destroy vehicles and buildings.”

He said the death of Mark Duggan, 29, was “regrettable” and will be subject to an independent investigation. “It is absolutely tragic that someone has died, but that does not give a criminal minority the right to destroy businesses and people’s livelihoods and steal from their local community.”

Police are in the process of "restoring calm" to an area of north London after rioting led to 26 officers being injured and 42 arrests.

Metropolitan Police officers faced "extreme violence" during the disturbances in Tottenham late yesterday in which vehicles and building were set on fire, Commander Adrian Hanstock said in a televised press conference today.

The trouble started after a peaceful protest by family and friends of a man shot dead during a police operation in Tottenham last week was "hijacked by troublemakers.

Crowds burn cars, buildings to protest man's killing in north London

Eight police officers were being treated in hospital today following riots which broke out two days after a man was shot dead by police.

Scotland Yard said at least one of the officers had suffered head injuries after protesters clashed with police in Tottenham, north London.

Trouble flared after members of the community took to the streets last night to demand "justice", after Mark Duggan, 29, was shot dead by police on Thursday.

The riots saw buildings and vehicles set alight, including two patrol cars, a police van and a double-decker bus, and shops looted as police in riot gear arrived on the scene.

Hundreds of people gathered in the street, including mounted police, as smoke poured into the air from the lighted bus.

Fire engines descended on the area and thunderflashes were thrown at police on horseback.

After sections of Tottenham High Road were cleared of protesters, "pockets of trouble" continued to flare in nearby areas, a Scotland Yard spokesman said.

Two vans were reported to have been set ablaze in nearby Rheola Close, and Sky News said that its reporter and cameraman had to withdraw from the area over safety fears.

There were also reports of looting in Tottenham Hale Retail Park.

A spokeswoman for London Ambulance Service said paramedics had treated 10 people, and nine were taken to hospital.

The violence erupted after around 120 people marched from the local Broadwater Farm area to Tottenham police station yesterday, forcing officers to close the High Road and put traffic diversions in place.

After night fell, two police cars parked about 200 yards from the police station were set upon.

Scotland Yard said in a statement: "Two police cars had parked up at Forster Road/ High Road while their officers conducted traffic patrols on foot. This is about 200 yards north of Tottenham Police Station.

"At approximately 8.20pm a number of bottles were thrown at these two cars. One was set alight and the second was pushed into the middle of the High Road. It was subsequently set alight.

"The officers were not in the vehicles and were unhurt.

"Officers from the Territorial Support Group have been deployed to disperse the crowd. They are deployed to the north and south of Tottenham Police Station in the High Road, and are subject to bottles and other missiles being thrown at them by the crowd."

A family friend of Mr Duggan, who gave her name only as Nikki, 53, said the man's friends and relatives had organised the protest because "something has to be done" and the marchers wanted "justice for the family.

About three hours later, the protests turned tense when the crowd got bigger and started hurling projectiles and bottles at police cars, setting them ablaze, authorities said.

"We did not have warnings that we were going to see the kind of disorder being witnessed tonight," said Cmdr. Stephen Watson. "We are aware of raised tensions in the community, which are understandable following the tragic death of Mark Duggan."

Protesters pelted officers with bottles and bricks as police charged at the crowd and blocked off streets.

A double-decker bus and some buildings in the area were also set ablaze, sending bright orange flames glowing in the night sky.

"For those who involved themselves in this level of violence, there is no excuse," Watson said.

Watson said the perpetrators may be brought to justice. But for now, the priority is to maintain calm.

East St. Louis Riot

(States Twitter)-East St. Louis Riot (May and July 1917) was an outbreak of labor and racially motivated violence that caused an estimated 100 deaths and extensive property damage in the United States industrial city of East St. Louis, Illinois, located on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from St. Louis, Missouri. It was the worst incidence of labor-related violence in 20th century American history, and one of the worst race riots in U.S. history. It gained national attention. The local Chamber of Commerce called for the resignation of the Police Chief. At the end of the month, ten thousand people marched in silent protest in New York City over the riots, which contributed to the radicalization of many.

Riot and aftermath

In May, three thousand white men gathered in downtown East St. Louis and attacks on blacks were occurring. With mobs destroying buildings and beating people, the Illinois governor called in National Guard to prevent further rioting. Although rumors circulated about organized retribution attacks from African Americans, conditions eased somewhat for a few weeks.

On July 1, a car occupied by white males had driven through a black area of the city and fired several shots into a standing group. An hour later police detectives were driving through the same area and black residents, assuming they were the original suspects, opened fire on their car, killing both detectives. On July 2, thousands of white spectators who assembled to view the detectives' bloodstained automobile marched into the black section of town and started rioting. After cutting the hoses of the fire department, the rioters burned entire sections of the city and shot inhabitants as they escaped the flames. Claiming that "Southern niggers deserve a genuine lynching," they lynched several blacks. Guardsmen were called in but accounts exist that they joined in the rioting rather than stopping it. More joined in, including allegedly "ten or fifteen young girls about 18 years old, chased a negro woman at the Relay Depot at about 5 o'clock. The girls were brandishing clubs and calling upon the men to kill the woman.

On July 6 representatives of the Chamber of Commerce met with the mayor to demand the resignation of the Police Chief and Night Police Chief, or radical reform. They were outraged about the rioting and accused the mayor of having allowed a "reign of lawlessness." In addition to the riot's taking the lives of too many innocent people, mobs had caused extensive property damage. The Southern Railway Company's warehouse was burned, with over 100 car loads of merchandise, at a loss to the company of over $500,000; a white theatre valued at over $100,000 was also destroyed.

In New York City on July 28, ten thousand black people marched down Fifth Avenue in silent protest about the East St. Louis riots. They carried signs that highlighted protests about the riots. The march was organized by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and groups in Harlem. Women and children were dressed in white; the men were dressed in black.

Background

In 1917 the United States had a active economy boosted by World War I. With many would-be workers absent for active service in the war, industries were in need of labor. Seeking better work and living opportunities, as well as an escape from Jim Crow conditions, the Great Migration out of the South toward industrial centers across the northern and midwestern United States was well underway. For example, blacks were arriving in St. Louis during Spring 1917 at the rate of 2,000 per week. When industries became embroiled in labor strikes, traditionally white unions sought to strengthen their bargaining position by hindering or excluding black workers, while industry owners utilizing blacks as replacements or strikebreakers added to the deep existing societal divisions.

Marcus Garvey while in New Orleans on lecture tour became aware that Louisiana farmers and the Board of Trade, worried about losing their labor force, had requested East St. Louis Mayor Mollman's assistance during his New Orleans visit that same week to help discourage black migration.