On May 27, the second day of protests over police brutality and the killing of George Floyd, a video of people looting a Target in Floyd’s home city of Minneapolis swiftly went viral. The images of haphazardly cleared aisles, broken windows, and citizens seemingly walking off with merchandise became the focus of how the protests “turned violent,” and the actions were broadly condemned by politicians, law enforcement, and others who have urged for these demonstrations to remain peaceful.
The ransacked Target provoked a strong reaction among observers across the country, who interpreted the act in many ways: as a demonstration of anti-capitalist intent, a sign of the protests’ lawless and disorderly nature, or an inevitable expression of rage and economic distress.
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