This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A mob yelling "Free iPhones!" has run amok in Philadelphia, ransacking high-end retailers like Apple and Lululemon, and police ended up arresting dozens and confiscating at least two guns from members of the rowdy crowd of lawbreakers.
Fox News reported that "swarms" of looters took over the retail districts, prompting reports to police of "large crowds of juveniles allegedly looting stores."
The report explained officers responding to calls from the public found the Foot Locker store, selling high-end sneakers and such, "had been ransacked in a 'coordinated attack.'"
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Acting Police Commissioner John Stanford explained the unrest actually stretched across the city, including Center City, the Northeast, and West Philadelphia.
The prosecuting attorney's office confirmed after the riot that at least 30 people were being charged – so far.
Most were facing counts of burglary and theft, with an occasional illegal gun possession thrown in.
The first reports of break-ins came just after protesters left a site at city hall where they demanded justice for Eddie Irizarry, who was shot and killed by police officers. A judge recently dismissed charges against the officers, triggering the violent response.
Stanford defended those protesters, saying they "had nothing to do" with what happened afterward.
"What we had tonight was a bunch of criminal opportunists take advantage of a situation and try to destroy our city," he said.
The Inquirer report said, "Around 8:15 p.m., videos showed groups of young people gather around the Apple Store near 16th and Walnut Streets and pry the front doors from the security guards’ hands. Shortly after, as the group ran down Walnut Street, the devices were locked and disabled by security technology and a loud alarm started sounding. Some people smashed the devices on the ground and police recovered a 'pile of iPads' abandoned nearby."
The publication explained, "The business corridors affected Tuesday night were similar to those targeted in the summer of 2020 after tensions between police and communities rose after the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Philadelphia was one of dozens of cities across the country to experience mass unrest; some stores through Center City were burned down, and parts of West and North Philadelphia were heavily looted and vandalized."
