The Country Is On Fire. La Mesa Is On Fire.

SDPD Tactical Vehicle (Taken 9.2.2017)

I was copying posts onto my blogger earlier today because I thought it was important to save writings in case Facebook starts deleting posts, but I never would've predicted that the violence and damage would hit the City of La Mesa. It feels very different when this sort of thing hits the areas in which you live. By several accounts including on the ground reporters from NBC, the protest in La Mesa was peaceful for over three hours until the police responded to vandalism by spraying tear gas at the crowd and shooting a woman in the face with a rubber bullet. There are also numerous accounts that suggest that people who peacefully protested in the daytime are not the same people who are wreaking havoc tonight.

I've been watching streams for five hours and it is just heartbreaking. La Mesa brought out the "bearcat" in La Mesa Village and were pushing all people out around 1. Vons at La Mesa Blvd and University was completely looted, as were most businesses in the same strip mall, Walmart in La Mesa, BevMo in Grossmont Center. La Mesa Lumber, Randall Lamb Architecture and Union Bank and Chase Bank in La Mesa were all completely engulfed in flames. Sprouts, Game Stop, Target, San Diego Reef and dozens of other businesses have had windows broken and/or were looted. It's heartbreaking to watch, but it feels impossible to turn it off. If you want the links and other posts, click after the jump.

Community Alert: South Park Halloween Hate Crime

On Monday, November 1 at 2 a.m., two friends dear to the San Diego music community were jumped in South Park. Daniel C. (Blackout Party, Manchest & Her) and Martin N. (Republic of Letters) were jumped last night outside the 7-Eleven in South Park.

Martin posted this photo and captioned on Facebook:

Great way to end Halloween, jumped by a soldier recently home from Iraq and his friends all because he doesn't like "fags" or people dressed like Freddie Mercury. "So you are a fag."
Hate Crime
2am, Nov 1, 2010
7-11, South Park, San Diego CA, USA
WTF

Martin was treated in the ER and police reports were filed, but the attackers got away. Martin says, "There was a girl there that knew them said he was just back from Iraq and had a pacemaker put in three days ago." The attackers were random and did not know the victims. "They are on the 7-11 video tapes although there are no cameras in the parking lot where it happened." Daniel was thrown against the car with enough force to dent the door. Additionally he says that the three guys and a girl took off in a car while Martin's girlfriend was on a call with 911, but they did get plates.

There was a similar incident the night before. If you have any information at all on the attacks, please call the SDPD at 619.692.4800.