BOSTON — An emotional Mayor Marty Walsh condemned the riots that tore Boston apart Sunday night, marring a day of peaceful protest and creating new burdens for a city and businesses already struggling with the coronavirus crisis.
"This was the very last thing that our city quite honestly needed," Walsh said at a Monday afternoon press conference.
Walsh thanked peaceful protesters, police and fire departments, and the National Guard. But he criticized those who took protests in memory of George Floyd as an opportunity to spread violence, fear and destruction. Floyd died in Minneapolis after a police officer arresting him knelt on his neck for nearly 9 minutes.
"I want to say to all of those peaceful demonstrators: Your works, your testimony, your call-to-action move me," Walsh said. "And you are moving our society forward. And we will continue that conversation and lead that progress because that is who we are in Boston."
Photos: Boston Begins Cleanup After Protests, Riots
"But what happened in downtown after the protests ended was an attack on those values," he said. "And it was an attack on our city and its people."
Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins said she was "exhausted" by racial injustice.
"People are fed up," Rollins said. "To the white community that is waking up to see this rage, we have been telling you this forever."
She expressed outrage at what it has taken for the conversation regarding race to get this far.
"It is completely ironic to have to say to you, 'Please don't be violent please keep your voice down, please be silent and comply with all the police's requirements,' when in fact it is those very people that murder us with impunity," Rollins said. "But that is where we are right now."
Rioters will be prosecuted, Rollins said.
There were 52 people arrested during the riots. Boston police Commissioner William Gross said 24 of those people were from outside Boston and two from outside Massachusetts. One out-of-stater was issued a summons.
"I'm telling you, folks, the negative actions will not deter us from remaining together as a community," Gross said.
Boston was one of a number of cities across the country that saw peaceful demonstrations, rooted in anger and frustration at police mistreatment of African Americans, devolve into chaos this weekend. The death of Floyd, who is black, sparked anger that has been bubbling for years.
Boston called in for help from Massachusetts State Police, surrounding community police, including Chelsea police officers in riot gear, as well as the National Guard. Officers used tear gas to disperse the crowds that had begun to riot. People set fire to a police cruiser, lobbed rocks and sticks and water bottles at police, and, according to Rollins, even shot at officers at one point. Looters were caught on live television stealing goods from retailers from Zara to CVS on Newbury Street.
This article originally appeared on the Boston Patch
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