Volunteers Bring Brooms, Dustpans To Help Clean Up Long Beach Businesses Hit By Looters
LONG BEACH (CBSLA) — A group of volunteers with brooms and dustpans in hand helped with clean-up efforts in Long Beach following a night of looting.
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"It's good to come this morning and see people helping me out," said business owner Sam Kasfy.
Kasfy has owned Jean Machine in Long Beach for 18 years. On Sunday, hundreds of looters stole armfuls of merchandise then tore up his store.
"They started breaking this window right here then they started breaking the boards down, Kasfy said. "Oo I came and I told them, 'This is not right.'"
Volunteer Robynn Mays and others came out with brooms and dustpans at daybreak Monday to help.
"I grew up in this community, I've known this gentleman since I was in ninth grade," Mays said.
On Sunday, Mays said she marched alongside peaceful protesters who attempted to stop the looters. She said the destruction shouldn't distract from the need for justice and reform.
"We are sick and tired of being walked over, stepped on by the system," Mays said. "We are sick and tired of dying."
City officials said they will go after the people who stole, vandalized, and burned. Huge flames destroyed the Men's Suit Outlet Sunday and a security camera captured a fireball being hurled into another store.
"For all those that are looting and are causing destruction in our city, you are not welcome in our community," said Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia.
The National Guard was patrolling the city Monday but neighbors questioned whether more could have been done sooner.
"All night I watched a burning building two blocks from my house," said Long Beach resident Cheryl Anderson Butler. "You just feel helpless."
Kasfy said he is determined to rebuild his store.
