When the looting starts, the shooting starts facts for kids

"When the looting starts, the shooting starts" is a famous phrase. It was first used by Walter E. Headley. He was the police chief in Miami, Florida. He said it in 1967. This was during a time when there was a lot of stealing and trouble during the Christmas holidays.

Chief Headley said that young people, aged 15 to 21, were causing problems. He felt they were using the civil rights campaign as an excuse. This movement was happening across the United States at the time. Headley told his police officers to use shotguns to stop the trouble. He also told reporters that he did not mind if people accused his officers of police brutality. This means using too much force. Some people think he might have gotten the phrase from another police chief, Bull Connor, in 1963.

How the Phrase Was Used

Chief Headley might have used this phrase again in 1968. This was during the 1968 Miami riots. Other important people also used similar phrases. These included Alabama governor George Wallace. Also, Philadelphia police chief Frank Rizzo used it. He later became mayor. Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley also used a similar saying. In 2020, U.S. president Donald Trump also used this phrase.

Why the Phrase Caused Problems

Chief Headley's phrase was criticized early on. A report called The Miami Report said it made the 1968 Miami riots worse. The U.S. Congress also looked into the phrase. This was after the 1968 Washington, D.C., riots. People also thought about it again after the 1980 Miami riots.

When Donald Trump used the phrase in 2020, Twitter flagged his post. This means Twitter put a warning on it for encouraging violence. Many politicians in U.S. cities and states also criticized Trump for using it. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg decided not to remove Trump's post from Facebook. This decision led to criticism and protests from Facebook employees.

See also

In Spanish: When the looting starts, the shooting starts para niños