iPhones stolen, Adidas store ransacked, pharmacies emptied as criminals exploit LA protest chaos

As protests over anti-immigration raids plunged Los Angeles into chaos, local criminal mobs seized the moment, ransacking multiple stores in the protest zones and making off with stolen goods. From Apple store to Adidas outlet to pharmacies – as many as 23 incidents of similar loots were reported in downtown Los Angeles. City officials said that opportunists come in to smash storefronts and loot businesses after peaceful protesters leave.

According to a New York Post report, looters have ransacked multiple stories across Los Angeles, destroying even a museum dedicated to Japanese-American immigrants.

In Los Angeles' Broadway, criminals stormed an Apple store by breaking its windows and fled with stolen goods. A video captures a scene of stolen iPhones scattered across a pavement, their alarms blaring loudly.

The alert text written on the stolen iPhones read: “Please return to Apple Tower Theatre. This device has been disabled and is being tracked. Local authorities will be alerted.”

An Adidas store in downtown LA was also ransacked and its shelves emptied, despite the presence of a store representative. A viral video on X shows dozens of masked individuals in hoodies storming the Adidas store, grabbing jackets, sneakers, and other merchandise before fleeing the scene.

People wore masks even as Donald Trump announced a ban on the use of masks at protests as tensions in Los Angeles escalated.

According to the reports, a jewellery store, two marijuana dispensaries and a pharmacy were also raided.

Multiple videos captured masked looters ransacking stores, grabbing armfuls of anything they could put their hands on, and fleeing into the chaos of the LA streets.

LA mayor imposes curfew

As Los Angeles reeled from escalating anti-immigration protests, followed by reports of loot, Mayor Karen Bass imposed curfew or a ‘local emergency’ in parts of the city.

In a press conference, Karen Bass said she had declared a local emergency and that the curfew will run from 8 pm on Tuesday until 6 am on Wednesday, while also asserting that “expect the emergency to last several days.”

The curfew will be in place in a 1 square mile (2.59 square kilometre) section of downtown that includes the area where protests have occurred since Friday. "We reached a tipping point” after 23 businesses were looted, Karen Bass said.

What’s behind the demonstrations?

The protests have been driven by anger over Trump’s stepped-up enforcement of immigration laws. They started Friday in downtown Los Angeles before spreading on Saturday to neighboring Compton and the city of Paramount.

Federal agents arrested immigrants in LA’s fashion district, in a Home Depot parking lot and at several other locations on Friday. The weeklong tally of immigrant arrests in the LA area climbed above 100, federal authorities said. Many have also been arrested while protesting.

(With agency inputs)