Pallets Of Bricks Strategically Placed On Protest Routes Stoking Violence, But Who Placed Them?

NEW YORK (VINnews) — Rioters protesting the death of George Floyd have resorted in many instances to throwing bricks positioned on the streets where the protests are taking place, according to a report by the Washington Examiner. In a number of cases the pallets of bricks appear to have been strategically placed on the routes of protests in order to enable the more extreme protesters to use them.

The Kansas City Police Department reported Sunday that it found “stashes of bricks and rocks” where protesters have rioted and urged people to alert 911 if they come across such caches.

We have learned of & discovered stashes of bricks and rocks in & around the Plaza and Westport to be used during a riot. If you see anything like this, you can text 911 and let us know so we can remove them. This keeps everyone safe and allows your voice to continue to be heard.

— kcpolice (@kcpolice) May 31, 2020

There have been other complaints about bricks which have been used during riots. New York City reporter Kevin Hogan posted a clip of protesters gleefully discovering and stealing bricks on the route of their protests, despite the fact that no construction was taking place nearby.

"Yo, we got bricks. We got bricks!"—#Rioters in Manhattan chanced upon a cache in the street equipped with bricks and a shovel at 10:01 p.m. on Second Ave between St. Marks Pl. and Seventh St. pic.twitter.com/dYB7vHdYqL

— Kevin R Hogan (@KRHogan_NTD) May 31, 2020

Protesters taking part in the demonstrations against police brutality have reported finding large stashes of bricks on the streets.

Videos from New York City, Kansas City, Dallas and Fayetteville in North Carolina all appear to show piles of bricks unattended in the middle of protests.

The footage has led to suggestions the slabs were either planted by police or by extremists to overshadow peaceful protests taking place in these cities and stoke violence.

Some social media users believe them to have been planted by police so rioters could be issued more severe charges, while others blamed outside agitators attempting to stir up more trouble.

‘Looks like a set up to me,’ tweeted protest supporter ICE T, who has often spoken out against police brutality. ‘There’s ALWAYS more than meets the eye,’ he continued.

Looks like a set up to me… There’s ALWAYS more than meets the eye.. https://t.co/IPSRGJMwuU

— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) May 31, 2020

U.S. officials say they are investigating whether extremist groups have infiltrated police brutality protests.

Authorities are said to be looking into whether these groups deliberately tipped the demonstrations towards violence after chaos erupted in dozens of American cities this weekend.

In Washington, where protesters raged outside the White House, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the groups seemed, at the least, organized to destroy with tools to break windows and distribute materials.

John Miller, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism, said the NYPD has a ‘high degree of confidence anarchist groups planned violent interactions and vandalism.’