The biggest city near me -- Pittsburgh -- hasn't had too many protests the last few weeks and the ones we have had most recently have been free of violence, looting, vandalism and fires. Of course, the arrests of one or two leaders on federal charges helped.
But what bugs me about any of these demonstrations, apart from the fact that the participants are not required to wear masks or social distance, is that they spring up without warning, causing disruption and chaos such as the article mentions. In the city, the streets are tough enough to get around on a good day. But any extraordinary event such as demonstration or a ballgame paralyzes not just the downtown, but much of the suburbs as well. A least with a ballgame or most other extraordinary events, the local media let us know ahead of time and often suggest alternative routes. But these demonstrators just show up and the powers that be have to scramble, blocking off streets and summoning police officers to control the crowds and direct traffic. It's a friggin' nightmare to be caught up in one of these things.
Used to be if anyone wanted to protest or conduct some other such gathering, he/she/they needed a permit. But I guess groups like BLM and the other anarchists get a pass on that requirement. These messes are once again the fault of local officials who refuse to enforce the law.
