“An intentional, and coordinated attack on the city” of Providence – (updating)

Photo: Twitter, LiveuaMap – burning police vehicle, Providence

Developing story:

Beginning around midnight, gangs began vandalizing downtown Providence. This followed a brief, early evening peaceful protest.

As of 5am, the RI State Police have set up a perimeter from the Providence Place Mall to the RI State, to North Main Street. People are advised to avoid this area as well as Thayer Street, Broad Street, and Westminster Street. Active violent scenes throughout Providence were seen as recently as 4am.

Violent gangs in Providence broke into and approximately 100 people looted some 12-20 stores at Providence Place Mall. Looting was also said to have occurred on Broad Street, Westminster St, Thayer St, Douglas Ave., etc. Reports of destruction at Café Nuovo, the Citizens Bank building itself, and DCYF offices in the Westminster Street area, and RI Housing office. ABC6 building across from Marriott on Orms had multiple attempts to enter, including the garage. Westminster Street has many “heavily damaged”  storefronts – many of which had “Black Lives Matter” signs on their windows.

Approximately 40 arrests have been made at this time and dozens of officers have been hurt, by bricks being thrown at them, and other means, none seriously. At least one police vehicle burned in the center of the city.

Col. Manni, of the RI State Police confirms they got a “heads up” early evening that a mob was targeting Providence – “this was an intentional, and coordinated attack on the city”. Manni commented about the “prior notice”, saying they were at the borders and casing local malls for vandalizing.  Manni said early this morning, “Substantial damage to vehicles and buildings” in Providence has occurred. Tear gas was used when the crowd started to throw bricks and go after police and vehicles, and after that the crowds dispersed into the neighborhoods”, with police working to “round them up” now.

Col. Hugh Clements of the Providence Police said, “we were completely overrun – we had a real bad night in the city of Providence – we made arrests where we could”.

Col. Pari of the Providence Police acknowledged that their forces were “way outnumbered” by the “flash mobs” at the start of the violence – “3 to 1” – and they waited for reciprocal forces from Cranston, Pawtucket, Johnston, East Providence, Massachusetts, and the RI State Police. “We needed all that help,” said Pari. “I understand their pain, and the feelings of black young men in the country, but this (destruction) isn’t the solution – I engaged them, tried to rationalize with them. When it turned violent, we needed to move.”

Mayor Elorza, 6:40am: “The police did an incredible job – it could have been much worse”.

Gangs were said to be young, and from Providence as well as “out of state”, with some identifying “the Brockton gangs” as the source. Earlier in the night, helicopters were seen flying low around the mall area in Brockton.

Earlier in the day the President had a conference call with governors telling them what to anticipate violent gangs in their cities intensifying, and advising and offering the assistance of the National Guard and other forces to gain control of the cities by dominating them in numbers. That call was followed by a national address early evening again advising the Governors and Mayors to prepare to for this “coordinated attack” that was using the racial issue and peaceful protests as an opportunity for destruction.

No members of the RI National Guard were seen in the city.

Raw video of the protests: