Many downtown King County stores that were preparing to reopen after being closed for more than two months were looted and badly damaged on Saturday and Sunday nights. Although Saturday afternoon began with a large and peaceful protest against the senseless killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, some in the crowd turned violent and destructive, damaging and looting more than 50 Seattle businesses. A second wave of damage and looting hit Bellevue, Tukwila, and Renton on Sunday, triggering curfews in cities across the state.

George Floyd died a week ago when a Minneapolis police officer put his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck for more than 8 minutes, keeping it there even after another officer detected no pulse. All four officers at the scene have been fired and the officer who placed his knee on Mr. Floyd faces third-degree murder and manslaughter charges. The killing of Mr. Floyd has triggered demonstrations in cities across the country, including several in Washington State.