Armed Civilians Protect Stores, As National Guard Protects City Buildings
by Alex Lloyd Gross
ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!! City leaders and everyday civilians are sick and tired of a small group of out of town hoodlums that are looting and setting buildings on fire. The PA National Guard has boots on the ground but they are just a force multiplier in center city. surrounding businesses are left vulnerable. Police resources are stretched thin. Business owners and concerned citizens have been staging in the parking lots of shopping centers across the city.
Most of these makeshift militias are armed. The mere presence is a deterrent.. Most are cops/firefighters and 99 percent of them know how to use a weapon. It’s not just guns, it’s OC Pepper spray, knives, sticks and bats. Every car that comes into the lot, the tag numbers are jotted down and the drivers are identified. No one is hostile and no one is threatening anyone. Many food delivery drivers are dropping off food for the volunteers. They stay all through the night.
Should some one be stupid enough to break windows or try to set a building on fire , that person will be detained, by force if necessary, and held for the police. In south Philadelphia, a looter was stupid enough to try to loot a gun shop. His efforts cost him his life. no charges are expected to be filed against the owner.
Volunteers are recruited via several groups on social media . There is no real organization, no chain of command. They simply just show up, chat and pass the time by.and they take note of the cars that pass by.
The national Guard is set up around the Municipal Services Building and they are standing behind police. They are not doing any patrols. There were videos that show the guard engaging people sitting on their front porch. This behavior is reprehensible and should not be tolerated. The guard in PA is a small contingent and has not made any arrests.