'We 100% support the protests' says owner of vandalized Durham bridal shop

Durham City Councilman Mark-Anthony Middleton said the city prides itself on keeping demonstrations peaceful, and most protests over the past several months have gone without damage. Last night's vandalism seemed unusual by comparison.

Middleton believes people responsible for damage came from outside the city with the purpose of causing trouble.

"We were victimized by folk who weren’t part of the fabric of our city," he said.

Tre Bella Bridal Shop was one of the businesses that was vandalized on Saturday night after protests.

Rachel Price, the owner of the shop, said that the first pane of glass took the brunt of the damage.

Durham government buildings, businesses vandalized after night of protests

Price said she supports the mission of the Black Lives Matter movement, even though her store was vandalized after a night of protesting.

"As much as we are disappointed in the damage to the store, we 100% support the Black Lives Matter protest," Price said.

A Durham community member, Moses Edwards, was walking by Price's shop when he saw the damage. He decided to stop and help her clean up the mess.

"Protesting is supposed to be peaceful," Edwards said, "based on your mission and what you are doing."

"I look at it as attention-grabbers when they are just destroying stuff," he said.

Protesters broke the windows of the Durham County Courthouse, vandalized the Durham County Justice Center and broke windows at five other businesses including the bridal shop.

No one was arrested, Durham officials said.

"These events are very fluid and move very quickly. The Durham Police Department doesn’t engage in dragnetting tactics," said Middleton. "We don’t go out and just arrest a bunch of people hoping to get the right person. You actually have to witness the person who broke the window or witness the person who spray painted."

Dragnetting is a police tactic used to catch criminals that may involve barricades or traffic stops, among others.