After rioting, Brockton cleans up, braces for what’s next

BROCKTON, Mass. — A family-owned Dunkin’ Donuts, the District Attorney’s Office, a courthouse are all buildings damaged by vandals who lashed out late Tuesday night.

Earlier, at West Middle School, a peaceful protest, one that city mayor Robert Sullivan says was about bringing people together. The event was quickly upstaged by an uprising of violence overwhelming parts of downtown.

“I took a knee when I started that night, saying Mr. George Floyd, we can’t forget that name,” Sullivan said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. “And as a white mayor of a minority community, I’m going to recognize and I’m going to express to you right now that this discrimination and bias without question and bigotry has existed.”

Robert Connolly, a local pastor who attended the West Middle School protest says he was appalled at what followed and drew national headlines as a result.

“That doesn’t reflect our city at all,” said Connolly.

Shattered glass was swept outside of the Dunkin’ Donuts on Montello Street. Authorities said someone tried to burn the building. The windows facing the street were all destroyed, by late afternoon, a cleanup crew had boarded each broken window and secured the site.

Four Brockton Police officers were hurt, along with a state trooper after bottles, fireworks and rocks were hurled at them, according to police chief Manny Gomes.

“To see my officers and see my brother officers on the state police to be struck with rocks and fireworks and frozen water bottles and other debris, it was a sad moment,” said Gomes.

As of 5 p.m., Brockton Police said they had charged three people for various violent acts from Tuesday, including one, 23-year-old Schmidreck George who is accused of throwing rocks at police and failing to disperse from a riot.

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