Controversial YouTube star Jake Paul is being accused of looting during the Black Lives Matter protests in Scottsdale, Arizona. Footage of his presence at the mall has made its way to Twitter, leading to swift condemnation of every part of this story.
Scottdale Fashion Square, a mall located in Arizona, was the target of a looting spree late last night, under the cover of the Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Scottsdale. The protest is one of many nationwide expressions of frustration with law enforcement over police brutality, triggered by an officer in Minneapolis who suffocated George Floyd by kneeling on the man's neck for several minutes. The incident, as is typically the case when police officers kill unarmed black men on camera, compelled the Black Lives Matter activists to organize demonstrations, and the event in Scottsdale is one such protest.
Jake Paul, along with a group of cohorts including his personal videographer, was present once the AZ protests transitioned to rioting and looting. His videographer, Andrew Blue, recorded the group walking through the mall after hours as people robbed stores and damaged property. It's unclear if any of the damage was caused by Paul and his group or if they're simply bystanders, as the video is unclear and most of its subjects are wearing masks because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. However, users on Twitter argue that him simply being present during the riot is worthy of condemnation, given his lofty financial status.
Jake Paul Denies Looting
In statements released on Instagram and Twitter, Jake Paul and Andrew Blue admit to being present in the mall but say they didn't partake in any illegal activities. According to Paul, he and his friends spent the entire day peacefully protesting and supporting the movement. His statement mentions that they decided to record the events once things took a violent turn, in order to "bring more attention to the anger felt in every neighborhood".
Twitter, however, doesn't agree with his explanation. Warning: Profanity.
The video doesn't show enough to confirm or deny that Paul and friends stole anything, but their presence at the mall at that time would have been in violation of the law. It's perhaps for this reason that the videos are no longer on Andrew's Instagram account as of this writing. The videographer confirmed they were recording content for their next YouTube video, so it's likely we'll see an edited version of what happened, but for now, it appears we'll have to take these men at their word. Paul is certainly not known as an activist and many of his critics have taken issue with his tendency to engage in racially insensitive behavior and use of racial slurs. If he's honest about having spent the day supporting Black Lives Matter, many could view that as an uncharacteristic choice.