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Thousands volunteer to help clean up Rochester; Cuomo offers more state troopers to patrol the city

Despite the mayhem that happened throughout parts of Rochester Saturday night, with vandalism and looting in some neighborhoods, Mayor Lovely Warren said on Sunday that the fact that more than 2,000 volunteers showed up at Frontier Field to aid cleanup efforts throughout the city represents “the Rochester we know and love.”

Warren again blamed the trouble that started late Saturday afternoon and continued through the night on outside agitators, but she says their actions also seemed to encourage some Rochester residents to take part in some of the looting and vandalism. The mayor is upset about those actions, noting that they hurt store owners who were willing to open up in challenged neighborhoods, as well as the people who work in those stores.

Warren and Monroe County Executive Adam Bello asked Gov. Andrew Cuomo for additional help patrolling the city on Sunday night, Cuomo agreed to send 200 additional state troopers to the city.

There were no reports of any major problems or vandalism on Sunday night.

The violence Saturday night followed a peaceful rally and protest earlier in the day to call for an end to police brutality and systemic racism, similar to rallies and protests in other cities including Albany, Syracuse and Buffalo. The peaceful demonstrations here and in other locations led Warren and Rochester Police Chief La’Ron Singletary to believe that the violence was coordinated by groups that took advantage of the large demonstrations.

Singletary said that RPD arrested 13 people Saturday night on charges including burglary and inciting to riot; he said there will be more arrests.

Bello said what happened in Rochester and some suburban towns on Saturday night is not acceptable, and “not reflective” of the people who live in the county.

Another curfiew in in effect for Monroe County starting Sunday night at 9 p.m. until 6:00 a.m., but in the city the curfew goes until 7 a.m. And Wegmans announced its stores will again close at 9:00 p.m. on Sunday (an hour earlier) in accordance with the countywide curfew.

A number of people around Rochester were busy on Sunday cleaning up the effects of the vandalism from Saturday night. WXXI photojournalist Max Schulte spoke with some of them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkJJwbdQ6Q&feature=youtu.be

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.
Noelle E. C. Evans is WXXI's Murrow Award-winning Education reporter/producer.
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