by Matt Agorist, The Free Thought Project:

Parts of Minneapolis, New York, Atlanta, Seattle, and others cities from coast to coast are burning. The anger in the US toward the establishment has spilled over into the streets and while much of that anger was devoted toward government property and law enforcement, another unfortunate reality has unfolded.

Looting and rioting have leveled small businesses in Minneapolis and mom and pop shops have seen their life’s work — which was already struggling from the lockdown — burn to the ground. However, there are some folks who are refusing to lay down and let the looting crush their part of the American dream.

Armed to teeth with semi-automatic assault rifles and handguns, multiple gun owners — both black and white — have reportedly been coming together to protect private business from looters.

As cops focused on arresting and pepper spraying journalists, thieves and vandals were roaming free, and emptying the shelves of mom and pop shops while laying waste to others. The only deterrent to these bad actors destroying and robbing businesses were good actors — with big guns — who were there to stop them.

Many of the initial armed protectors we saw were divided based on race. Black business owners were protecting black businesses and even putting signs up in their windows that said “black owned,” to deter possibly racially motivated attacks.

Lawful black firearms owners standing guard outside their businesses. pic.twitter.com/UyV5uHw3cW

— Ezra Levant