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The phrase when the looting starts, the shooting starts has a long and controversial history. It was first used by Miami Police Chief Walter E. Headley in 1967 in response to an outbreak of violent crime during the Christmas holiday season. The phrase has been used by various political figures, including Alabama governor George Wallace, Philadelphia police commissioner Frank Rizzo, Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley, and, most recently, U.S. President Donald Trump in 2020. Trump's usage of the phrase in a tweet about the George Floyd protests was flagged by Twitter for glorifying violence and was met with widespread criticism.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Material | 100% cotton |
| Style | Unisex |
| Sizes | S to 5XL |
| Colors | Various |
| Shipping time | 8-15 working days |
| Shipping cost | Free for orders of multiple items |
What You'll Learn
History of the phrase when the looting starts, the shooting starts
The phrase "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" has a long and controversial history. It was first used by Miami, Florida's police chief, Walter E. Headley, in 1967. During this time, there was an outbreak of violent crime in Miami during the Christmas holidays. Headley accused "young hoodlums, from 15 to 21" of taking "advantage of the civil rights campaign" and ordered his officers to combat the violence with shotguns. He told the press, "we don't mind being accused of police brutality".
Headley is thought to have borrowed the phrase from Eugene "Bull" Connor, the notorious public safety commissioner in Birmingham, Alabama. Connor, a segregationist, directed the use of police dogs and fire hoses against black demonstrators and had declared in 1963 that he would use such measures to quell unrest.
The phrase was later used by several political figures, including Alabama governor George Wallace, Philadelphia police commissioner and eventual mayor Frank Rizzo, and Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley.
In 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump used the phrase in a tweet in response to the protests and riots that broke out across the nation following the murder of George Floyd, an African-American man killed by a white police officer. Trump's tweet was flagged by Twitter for "glorifying violence" and was hidden from public view unless a user clicked on it. Trump later claimed that he was unfamiliar with the phrase's history and that he did not know where it originated.
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Usage of the phrase by Donald Trump
On May 28–29, 2020, then-President Donald Trump used the phrase "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" in a tweet in response to the increasingly violent nationwide and international protests in reaction to the murder of George Floyd.
The tweet read:
> I can’t stand back & watch this happen to a great American City, Minneapolis. A total lack of leadership. Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Frey, gets his act together and bring the City under control, or I will send in the National Guard & get the job done right… These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!
The tweet was flagged by Twitter for "glorifying violence" and was hidden behind a "public interest notice". The White House's subsequent repost of the tweet was also flagged.
In the aftermath of the tweet, then-Mayors Lori Lightfoot of Chicago and Keisha Lance Bottoms of Atlanta stated that Trump was giving a dog whistle to his racist base, authorising the use of vigilante violence to quell rioting. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear called on Trump to retract the tweet.
Trump later characterised the tweet as a warning that looters run the risk of being shot, rather than a command to shoot looters. He said he was unaware of the phrase's "racially-charged history".
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Criticism of Trump's usage of the phrase
In the wake of George Floyd's murder and the ensuing protests against police brutality and racial injustice, then-President Donald Trump's decision to tweet the phrase "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" sparked widespread outrage and condemnation. The phrase, with its
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Facebook employees protest Mark Zuckerberg's decision
In 2020, Facebook employees protested Mark Zuckerberg's decision to not remove a post by U.S. President Donald Trump that used the phrase "when the looting starts, the shooting starts." The phrase has a history of being used to encourage violence and has been criticised for exacerbating violence during riots.
The phrase was originally used by Walter E. Headley, the police chief of Miami, Florida, in 1967, in response to an outbreak of violent crime during the Christmas holiday season. Headley's use of the phrase was criticised for inflaming racial tensions and exacerbating violence during the 1968 Miami riots. Variations of the quote have been used by other political figures, including Alabama governor George Wallace and Philadelphia police commissioner Frank Rizzo.
In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, President Trump used the phrase in a tweet in response to the increasingly violent nation-wide and international protests. Twitter flagged the tweet as "glorifying violence" and hid it from public view, requiring users to click on it to see the content. Trump later characterised the tweet as a warning about the use of state force, rather than a command to shoot looters.
On June 1, 2020, hundreds of Facebook employees staged a virtual walk-out from work in protest of Zuckerberg's decision to not remove Trump's post. Three civil rights leaders who spoke with Zuckerberg and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg following the protest stated that they were "disappointed and stunned" by Zuckerberg's decision and that he was "facilitating Trump's call for violence against protesters."
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Variations of the phrase
The phrase "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" was first used by Miami, Florida police chief Walter E. Headley in 1967. The quote may have been borrowed from a 1963 comment by Birmingham, Alabama police chief Bull Connor.
In the years since, variations of the quote have been used by several political figures, including:
- Alabama governor George Wallace
- Philadelphia police commissioner and eventual mayor Frank Rizzo
- Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley
- U.S. President Donald Trump
In 2020, Trump used the phrase in a tweet in response to the George Floyd protests. Twitter flagged the tweet for "glorifying violence" and hid it from public view. Trump later claimed he was unaware of the phrase's "racially-charged history."
In 2018, British street artist Banksy repurposed the phrase in a piece depicting a stockbroker fleeing the New York Stock Exchange with bundles of cash.
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Frequently asked questions
You can buy this T-shirt from websites such as Teeshirtbear, Kingteeshop, and Ballistic Ink.
If you are in the US, Canada, or Europe, you will receive your order within 3-7 business days after printing is complete. For all other countries, please allow between 10-14 business days.
The T-shirts are made from 100% cotton.
The T-shirts are available in sizes from S to 5XL.
The phrase was originally used by Miami, Florida Police Chief Walter E. Headley in 1967 in response to an outbreak of violent crime. The phrase was later used by other political figures, including Alabama governor George Wallace and US President Donald Trump.
