Chaos

All hell broke loose in Boston last night.  A scheduled peaceful protest turned into a grim scene of rioting, looting, arson, tear gas, sirens, explosions, burning police cars, and yelling -- all with the steady background din of news helicopters hovering overhead.  What certainly looked like thousands of mostly black-clad participants made their solemn way down Washington Street from Roxbury to the State House in protest of the disgraceful and shocking murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis police.  This crowd was orderly and peaceable.  But once the sun set and the city was cloaked in darkness, an ugly element emerged intent on creating chaos and mayhem.  I very much doubt these people had anything to do with the Black Lives Matter protest.  What unfolded looked like a scene that Hieronymus Bosch might well have painted.

This is an e-mail we received this morning from our building's management team:  "As we wake to a new day on Monday, please join me in giving tremendous credit and thanks to the team that worked during the George Floyd rallies scheduled to culminate at the State House on Sunday night. They maintained order and control inside our building while tension and chaos quickly spun out of control on the streets surrounding our community. I also give thanks to the many residents that checked in with the staff throughout the ordeal to make certain they were okay. I could hear and feel the overwhelming gratitude they were experiencing knowing you genuinely care for their safety and well-being.
 
It is unfortunate that so many individuals turned this peaceful and powerful event into a festival of criminal chaos with extensive graffiti, destruction of property, looting and arson.
 
While we feel fortunate that the North Tower escaped any notable property destruction, please know that both "our" CVS and the Walgreens at the corner of Avery and Washington were both severely damaged and looted. Fires were set in Liberty Park and along Tremont Street in the Boston Common. Many shops throughout Downtown Crossing have been damaged/looted and property up and down the streets of our neighborhood destroyed. At the time I am writing this message, residue from tear gas, smoke bombs and pepper spray continue to make the air around the building difficult to breathe.
 
Clean-up will take some time. Stores you may have planned to visit in the next day or two may not be open. We will keep our eye on the situation and provide updates as they become available.
 
Although regrettable, we find ourselves faced with another opportunity to prove what it means to be Boston Strong."