At Police Station Protest, Chicago BLM Activist Calls Looting "Reparations"

Members of Chicago's Black Lives Matter organization held a rally outside of a city police station Monday night. They said they were standing with the 100 individuals who were arrested Sunday and Monday for looting and other crimes during widespread unrest.

“I don’t care if someone decides to loot a Gucci or a Macy’s or a Nike store, because that makes sure that person eats,” Ariel Atkins, a BLM organizer, said. “That makes sure that person has clothes.”

“That is reparations,” Atkins said. “Anything they wanted to take, they can take it because these businesses have insurance.”

Chicago police believe the looting began after officers shot a man in the city’s Englewood neighborhood on Sunday afternoon. Authorities say the man, identified as 20-year-old Latrell Allen, had a gun and fired at police before they returned fire, striking and wounding him, NBC Chicago reports.

Allen now faces attempted murder charges after the incident.