An old video of Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defending shoplifters as “hungry” people who have seen bread has surfaced in the wake of the looting in Philadelphia in which at least 30 people have been charged so far.
The New York congresswoman sat down in a 2020 video and described why she thought people were looting.
“So they go out and they have to feed their child, but they don’t have any money… They end up in a position where they feel like they have to steal some bread or go hungry that night,” Ocasio-Cortez said . .
But she has since been ridiculed online after a gang of dozens of looters attacked stores including Footlocker, Apple and Lululemon in the City of Brotherly Love on Tuesday night – with one social media user writing: ‘This didn’t turn out well.’
Thieves also looted at least 18 liquor stores overnight, leading all Fine Wine and Good Spirits locations in Philadelphia to close their doors on Wednesday.
The U.S. Representative for New York sat down in a 2020 video and described why she thought people were looting
At least 30 people have been charged after widespread looting broke out in Philadelphia last night, with one woman livestreaming the chaos
Looters also stormed through 18 liquor stores in the Philadelphia area, causing all Fine Wine and Good Spirits stores in Philadelphia to close on Wednesday.
The windows of a looted liquor store were shattered and hung from pieces of glass
At the proposed Apple Store, iPhones and other electronic merchandise were removed from their displays as employees were puzzled by the events
At least thirty people – including three youths – have so far been charged in connection with the looting.
Most were charged with burglary and theft, and one with illegal possession of weapons, a spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service said.
Two firearms were recovered at the scene, and footage shows police detaining the suspects as merchandise is piled high around them.
Additionally, looters stormed through 18 separate liquor store locations Tuesday evening.
Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Press Secretary Shawn M. Kelly shared The Philadelphia Inquirer no employees were injured and stores will reopen “when it is safe to do so and when damage has been repaired.”
Many thieves officers tried to cover their faces with Halloween masks at the Lululemon store.
The massacre took place on Walnut Street, in the center of the city, and also involved a Foot Locker and Apple store.
One woman, Dayjia Blackwell, who also goes by the name “meatball,” had been live-streaming the chaos in the city on her Instagram page and sharing clips of the looting, seemingly encouraging it.
She also looted a nearby liquor store, where she took a bottle of Hennessey from the shelves.
“Tell the police that if they lock me up tonight, a movie will be made!” Everyone has to eat!’ she said confidently into the camera.
She also looted a nearby liquor store, where she took a bottle of Hennessey from the shelves
Blackwell was later arrested by police in her friend’s car just after midnight.
At the proposed Apple Store, iPhones and other electronic merchandise were removed from their displays as employees panicked.
Just three weeks ago, Philadelphia’s police chief resigned as the Democratic-led city faced a wave of murders and lawlessness.
Danielle Outlaw, 48, who has been Philly’s top cop since February 2020, officially left the department on September 22.
Outlaw’s new role will be the Deputy Chief Security Officer at the Port Authorities of New York and New Jersey, where she will oversee the airports, bridges, tunnels and other transportation infrastructure in the New York City area.
Before she came to power, there had been fewer than 400 homicides annually in Philadelphia since 2007. More than 500 murders occurred citywide in both 2021 and 2022.
The latest figures, up to last Sunday, show that there have been 302 murders in the city so far this year.
There have also been 402 reported cases of rape, 58,759 cases of property crimes, 3,701 cases of aggravated assault and 1,314 shooting victims.
As crime has skyrocketed in Philadelphia, homelessness and street drug use have become increasingly common.
Homeless people and drug addicts are often driven to petty theft as a way to support themselves or scrape together enough money to support their addictions.