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Looting (which derives via the Hindi lut from Sanskrit lunt, to rob) is the inconsiderate taking of valuables triggered by a change in authority or the absence thereof. Originally the word referred primarily to the plundering by citizens or victorious troops during warfare (see for instance War and Peace, [1], which describes widespread looting by Moscow's citizens before Napoleon's troops enter the town, and looting by French troops elsewhere). Another example is the looting of art treasures by Nazi's in WWII [2]. Nowadays the word is understood more widely as plundering and stealing during any temporary absence of authority and order, be it caused by war [3], a natural disaster [4], riots [5], terrorist attacks [6], etc. War and Peace (Война и мир [Voyna i mir], in original orthography Война и миръ) is an epic novel of Russian history and society by Leo Tolstoy, first published from 1865 to 1869, which tells the story of Russia during the Napoleonic Era. ...
Moscow (Russian: МоÑкваÌ, Moskva, IPA: listen â–¶(?)) is the capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva. ...
For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ...
War is a state of widespread conflict between states, organisations, or relatively large groups of people, which is characterised by the use of lethal violence between combatants or upon civilians. ...
A natural disaster is a catastrophe that occurs when a hazardous physical event (such as a volcanic eruption, earthquake, landslide, hurricane, or any of the other natural phenomena listed below) precipitates extensive damage to property, a large number of casualties, or both. ...
Riots in Newark, New Jersey Riots occur when crowds of people have gathered and are committing crimes or acts of violence. ...
The following is a timeline of acts and failed attempts that can be considered terrorism. ...
The inability of the authorities to protect its citizens and their property can have many causes. It could be that the authorities themselves are incapacitated, especially in case of major natural disasters or terrorist attacks. It is also possible that citizens cannot contact them for help, in case phone lines break down, security systems fail, etc.. Especially in case of a natural disaster people find themselves forced to take what is not theirs to survive. How to respond to this is often a dillemma for the authorities [7].
The term looting is more and more used metaphorically to refer to theft by corrupt people in postions of authority exploiting their financial or political power. An example is the looting that went on at Tyco by senior executives [8]. To certain people, this type of theft extends to intellectual property. An example of someone who uses the term liberally is Al Sharpton. Tyco has been used as the name for a number of distinct companies: Tyco International is a Bermuda-based conglomerate. ...
Reverend Al Sharpton The Reverend Alfred Charles Al Sharpton Jr. ...
Reasons behind looting during disasters Looting is often opportunistic, the lapse in authority fostering belief that one can commit crimes with impunity. Looting also cascades through a group of people as one person believes that his contribution to the crime is lessened because someone else is looting. People may also believe that if the goods are not stolen, then they will simply be wasted, and see their act as a lesser of two evils. Finally, a looter may believe that if he doesn't steal the property, it will simply be stolen by someone else and he will gain nothing from his obedience. Looters are usually locals of the site of the disaster, and as such, may have lost a lot of their own property. This further encourages them to steal as it is reducing the negative impact of the disaster.
In extreme circumstances such as New Orleans after the Hurricane Katrina disaster, looting may be the only way for a person to procure necessities for themselves and their loved ones. Many see this as an act of survival rather than taking advantage of unfortunate events. Looting during Hurricane Katrina was carried out by many individuals who were essestials for survivals as well as those who sought to get "free stuff" such as DVD players and alcohol. One young man was seen drunkenly attempting to break the window of a bank with a large pipe. Police were required to "loot" gasoline out of "abandoned" cars in order to continue to operate their squad cars, and doctors have had to obtain medical supplies from abandoned drugstores under armed police guard.[9] The media in Hurricane Katrina have come under criticism for portraying identical acts as justifiable "finding" or deplorable "looting" depending on the race of the perpetrator.[10] New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ...
Hurricane Katrina was the eleventh named tropical storm, fourth hurricane, third major hurricane, and first Category 5 hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. ...
In many countries, even in Western democracies that otherwise ban the death penalty, extraordinary measures may be taken against looters, during times of crisis. Looters may be summarily shot by the police, army, or property owners. Extraordinary measures, combined with an impressive show of force, help to discourage looting and to disperse crowds that would now find a normal show of force non-threatening. This is also common police practice in discouraging potential riots, which are often associated with looting, from escalating. Informally Summary Justice refers to the punishment of suspected offenders without recourse to the legal system (see [Lynch mob]). Summary Justice also refers to the system for trying and punishing offenders in a court of Summary (or limited) Jurisdiction. ...
Riots in Newark, New Jersey Riots occur when crowds of people have gathered and are committing crimes or acts of violence. ...
The shooting of looters may also prevent further damage to the economy. However, this also shows the relative value of economy vs. human life in some societies.
Looting around the world Without a police presence, looting will nearly always occur in large scale disaster situations.
Following the death of Valentinian III in 455, the Vandals invaded and extensively looted the city of Rome. Solidus minted in Thessalonica to celebrate the marriage of Valentinian III to Licinia Eudoxia, daughter of the Eastern Emperor Theodosius II. On the reverse, the three of them in wedding dresses. ...
Events June 2 - Gaiseric leads the Vandals into Rome and plunder the city for two weeks. ...
The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century and created a state in North Africa, centered on the city of Carthage. ...
City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus – SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) Founded 21 April 753 BC mythical, 1st millennium BC Region Latium Mayor Walter Veltroni (Left-Wing Democrats) Area - City Proper 1290 km² Population - City (2004) - Metropolitan - Density (city proper) 2,546,807 almost 4,000,000...
Another example of looting occurred during the American Civil War. The New York Draft Riots (July 13 - July 17, 1863) began as protests against President Abraham Lincoln's Enrollment Act of Conscription drafting men to fight in the ongoing United States Civil War. Considered by some to be the worst civil unrest in American history, the riots included 50,000 participants and lasted several days, claiming hundreds of lives and destroying millions of dollars in property. The violent demonstration could not be contained by the civil police force, and required the intervention of regiments of the New York State Militia, who marched back to NY from the battlefield of Gettysburg, to restore civil order. The American Civil War (1861–1865) was fought in North America within the United States of America, between twenty-three mostly northern states of the Union and the Confederate States of America, a coalition of eleven southern states that declared their independence and claimed the right of secession from the...
The New York Draft Riots in (New York City, July 13 - July 16, 1863) began as protests against President Abraham Lincolns Enrollment Act of Conscription drafting men to fight in the ongoing American Civil War. ...
A civil war is a war in which the competing parties are segments of the same country or empire. ...
Main article: Gettysburg Campaign The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863), fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the largest battle ever fought in North America, and is generally considered to be the turning point of the American Civil War. ...
In 1992, during the Rodney King riots, widespread looting occurred in Los Angeles. Some store owners guarded their stores with personal firearms. Rodney King Glen Rodney King (born April 2, 1965 in Sacramento, California) was an African-American motorist who, while videotaped by a bystander (George Holliday), was beaten repeatedly by Los Angeles police officers (LAPD) during a police stop on March 3, 1991. ...
This article is about the largest city in California. ...
During the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 many ATMs were robbed in New York City. The World Trade Center on fire The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. ...
Outdoor ATMs may be free-standing, like this kiosk, or built into the side of banks or other buildings An automatic teller machine or automated teller machine (ATM) is an electronic device that allows a banks customers to make cash withdrawals and check their account balances without the need...
Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the state of New York and the entire United States. ...
After the United States occupied Iraq, the absence of Iraqi police and the reluctance of the US to act as a police force enabled looters to raid homes and businesses, most notably the Iraqi National Museum. During the war, many hospitals were stripped of nearly all supplies. However, upon investigation many of the looting claims were in fact exaggerated. Most notably the Iraqi National Museum in which many curators had stored important artifacts in the museum vault and then flooded the entrance. [11]. This article covers invasion specifics. ...
The National Museum of Iraq is located in Baghdad, Iraq. ...
Looting as an act of warfare
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