President Donald Trump urged New York City authorities to call in the National Guard after initially peaceful George Floyd demonstrations devolved into scenes of chaos late June 1, as a curfew failed to prevent a spate of smash-and-grab thefts in Manhattan and looters from breaking into the flagship Macy’s store on 34th Street.
As the 11 p.m. deadline to get off the streets approached, bands of protesters marched peacefully through Manhattan and Brooklyn, but police simultaneously responded to numerous reports of roving groups of people smashing their way into shops and emptying them of merchandise.
