Looting followed the first protests to take place in the San Fernando Valley on Monday, impacting stores on Van Nuys Boulevard and businesses at the Westfield Topanga shopping center in Woodland Hills. A Boost Mobile store on Van Nuys Boulevard, Super Discount Pharmacy near Vesper Avenue in Van Nuys and a nearby neighborhood pharmacy were looted Monday afternoon, KCAL reported. A strip mall in the 15700 block of Vanowen Street in Van Nuys was reportedly on fire closer to 8 p.m., according to Nicholas Prange of the Los Angeles Police Department. In the Woodland Hills and Canoga Park area, a Target attached to the Westfield Topanga mall was broken into during the protests, according to the Topanga Community Police Station, as well as the Nordstrom Rack across the street from the mall on Victory Boulevard. “On behalf of the West Valley-Warner Center Chamber of Commerce, our hearts go out to the businesses and community that have been affected by the recent threat that now has required a curfew and early closure,” Diane Williams, chief executive for the chamber, said in a statement. “It is our hope that all protests are peaceful and that the community remains safe. We continue to be here for you during this recovery from the pandemic ‘safer at home’ order and now through this threat. We are ready and anxious to get back to business as usual.” Protests in downtown Los Angeles and throughout the country have been occurring for a week now, sparked by the death of George Floyd, an African-American man who died May 25 after his arrest in Minneapolis by white police officers, one of whom has been charged with second-degree homicide, third-degree homicide and second-degree manslaughter. “Let us honor the memory of George Floyd. Let us remember the real reason people are angry. Let us not be distracted by those who loot and vandalize our neighborhoods, no matter how much airtime they get on television,” said Nancy Hoffman Vanyek, chief executive of the Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce, in a Facebook live video Monday night. “Let us come together to be better tomorrow than we are today. And above all, let us listen. Now, it is our job to do something about it.” A curfew was in effect Monday night. Another curfew is in effect for Los Angeles County from 6 p.m. on Tuesday until 6 a.m. Wednesday.
