In defense of looting

"Looting--a crowd of people publicly, openly, and directly seizing goods--is one of the more extreme actions that can take place in the midst of social unrest. . . Osterweil argues that while looting is often maligned in today's society, it is, and has always been, one of our most powerful tools of dismantling capitalism and white supremacy. . . --a direct means of wealth redistribution and a practical, immediate way of improving life for the working class--not to mention a brazen message to the police, the state, and an unjust society. All our beliefs about the innate righteousness of property and ownership, Osterweil explains, are built on the history of anti-Black and settler oppression--meaning that belief in the right to own property is innately, structurally white supremacist. . . [This book] is a history of violent protest sparking social change a compelling reframing of radical activism and a practical vision for the redistribution of wealth, a new relationship to property, and a radically restructured society"--Provided by publisher.