Group Tries To Break Into Queens Center Mall In 'Loot Out'

ELMHURST, QUEENS — Several dozen people tried to break into the Queens Center Mall midday Monday after a post circulated on social media calling for a "loot out" at the mall.

Shops and restaurants boarded up their windows and NYPD officers surrounded the mall to prepare for any unrest after a post talking about a "QCM protest loot out" at 1 p.m. Monday made the rounds on Instagram and Facebook. The original source of the post is unclear.

A video that a bystander shared with Patch shows a number of people breaking mall windows while one person yelled "calm down." The footage was later taken down by YouTube.

Others tried to stop the group from getting inside the mall, according to one report.

An NYPD spokesperson said the department sent more officers to the mall after reports of vandalism and crowding but provided no further information. Police had no record of any arrests at the mall as of Monday night, a spokesperson said.

City Council Member Bob Holden said on Twitter that NYPD 110th Precinct Capt. Jonathan Cermeli told him that crowds vandalized the building and police vehicles and threw bricks at police officers but that no one looted the mall.

While the social media posts about the "loot out" referred to it as a protest, Black Lives Matters protesters who have been rallying against police brutality across the city vehemently denounced it and asked people to not participate.

How does looting Queens Center Mall (QCM) help further the #BlackLivesMatter cause? What does that accomplish? Absolutely nothing. Redirect that energy elsewhere and protest without destroying your city in the process.
— Enmanuel Arias (@thenisnotsilent) June 1, 2020

quick disclaimer to anyone planning on raiding qcm tmm #protests2020 #queensprotest pic.twitter.com/RceUf7E8cN
— raydhira BLM (@rayydhiraargm) June 1, 2020

If you plan to go to qcm to “loot” pls dont say its in the name of the black lives matter movement or for george floyd. The protestors have enough going on with the media portraying them as riots so just say you are doing it for yourself, for the thrill. But NOT for george floyd
— eskarlen (@eskarlenizp) May 31, 2020

This is not a Protest and never was. It shouldn't be labeled as one. Protest Organizers already spoke against the Queens Center Mall outing. This is a bunch of punk kids looting and creating anarchy for the hell of it.
— Michael Johnston (@MalibuMyke) June 1, 2020

NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller claimed that "outside groups" are capitalizing on the largely peaceful demonstrations across New York City — spurred by the killing of Minnesota man George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer — to loot stores and vandalize property, according to the New York Post.

Protesters gathered across Queens this past weekend to demand justice for Floyd and an end to police brutality that disproportionately targets black people.