Protesters (or rioters, depending on your perspective) spared a Waffle House from damage in Atlanta, Georgia.
The viral video has been viewed millions of times. The video, which you can view below, shows people gathering in front of a Waffle House before leaving it untouched and continuing down the street. “Protesters decide to leave Waffle House alone. Atlanta is amazing,” a man says in the video. People can also be heard in the video saying, “Not the Waffle House,” and, “No, no.”
Here’s the video:
Ok I’m sorry but this is hilarious 😂💀 Atlanta said “NOT THE WAFFLE HOUSE” 😂👏 #AtlantaRiot #AtlantaProtest
However, the Waffle House wasn’t spared by looters that same night.
Spoke too soon. This is the downtown Atlanta Waffle House now. @AJC photo.
According to The New York Post, the Waffle House video was filmed in Atlanta.
The video was first posted by Twitter user Otto Dinero on May 29.
Atlanta said fuck everything up but Waffle House
It was a chaotic night in the streets of Atlanta on May 29. People even vandalized the CNN logo at one point. Protests and riots broke out throughout the United States in the wake of the Minneapolis death of George Floyd; a former Minneapolis police officer has been charged in the death of Floyd, who was restrained with a knee to a neck (read more about his cause of death here.)
Keisha Lance Bottoms, the Atlanta mayor, said in a news conference, speaking to people committing vandalism: “You have defaced the CNN building. Ted Turner started CNN in Atlanta, 40 years ago because he believed in who we are as a city.”
Watch @Atlanta_Police‘s broadcast: APD provides updates on protests in downtown Atlanta.
Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp wrote, “State and local leaders are working together to ensure public safety and keep the peace in Atlanta. I have signed an order authorizing as many as 1,500 National Guard troops to deploy throughout the city to maintain order and address hotspots of illegal activity.” He added: “State law enforcement officials have been working closely with Mayor @KeishaBottoms and @Atlanta_Police throughout the day. When asked to provide support and assistance, the state immediately responded, and we will continue to do so.”
Other Videos Have Gone Viral During the Unrest
A series of other intense videos also emerged from cities throughout the country as George Floyd protests and riots escalated into violence in some areas. For example, in Chicago there was an all-out street brawl between police officers and protesters, according to this video. In Atlanta, a video caught a bicycle officer shoving a bike at a woman. Protesters threw an American flag in a river outside Trump Tower in Chicago. In New York City, videos captured two NYPD squad cars running over protesters.
In Minneapolis, Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter charges. Businesses were torched and looted in Minneapolis, and the protests and riots then spread throughout the country in many major cities, with some peaceful and some not.
READ NEXT: What’s Known About George Floyd’s Cause of Death.