Long Beach cleans up after night of mayhem

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Beginning at sunrise, thousands of volunteers took to the streets of Long Beach to clean up broken glass, scrub away graffiti and board up businesses after vandals wreaked havoc on the city.

"We've been able to send (volunteers) uptown, to Bixby Knolls, Cambodia Town, 4th Street," said CEO of the Downtown Long Beach Alliance, Kraig Kojian. "These people are the heart of Long Beach."

Approximately 3,000 people demonstrated in downtown Long Beach Sunday afternoon to protest the death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd. The peaceful protest was marred by looting and vandalism that persisted through early hours of the morning.

City officials said 75 people were arrested Sunday night into early Monday morning. Long Beach Fire Chief Xavier Espino said firefighters responded to more than 100 fires across the city.

"What happened last night to our small businesses last night was unacceptable," said Mayor Robert Garcia. "We should be angry and saddened by the behavior of these people and these criminals."

As Long Beach prepared for another possible night of unrest, the city stands together.

"Long Beach is strong, it's resilient," said Alison King, deputy executive director of the Long Beach Housing Authority.

King was scrubbing graffiti off of the faade of her facility when a nearby business owner, along with staff and customers, came by to help out.

"God knows, we needed to stand for what happened to George Floyd," King said. "However, there was a lot of damage done but there are a lot of good people to make sure we all rise."

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