Terasa Livingstone ‘sleeping with axe and crowbar’ amid LA riots

Former Gold Coast TV presenter Terasa Livingstone and actor husband Wil Traval have given a terrifying account of life amid the chaos of LA riots. SEE VIDEO OF LOOTING ON THEIR STREET

A FORMER TV host from the Gold Coast living amid the riots and looting in Los Angeles says she’s had a sleepless week and is keeping an axe and crowbar beside her.

Terasa Livingstone and actor husband Wil Traval have been out filming the mayhem caused by looters she says are “overshadowing what the actual problem is”.

“From Saturday night, just for precautions, we have slept on the couch by the door with an axe and a crowbar,” she told the Bulletin this morning.

“(Looters) were outside our door.

“We weren’t really scared they were going to attack us. They just wanted to loot outside the shopping centre.

Terasa Livingstone filming during the looting.

Former TV presenter Terasa Livingstone.

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“The people we saw looting, smashing and breaking into stuff were black, white, Asian, young girls and boys, Latinos… everyone.

“These guys are different. They are overshadowing what the actual problem is, which is really sad.”

In a Facebook posted she described “explosions at our corner. Bats, hammers, rocks.”

Riots, looting and protests spread from Minnesota to the rest of the US after African-American man George Floyd, 46, died during an arrest by police last Monday in Minnesota.

His cause of death has been determined by an autopsy as asphyxiation, after harrowing footage showed a police officer kneeling on his neck as Mr Floyd pleaded he could not breathe.

His death has caused outrage around the world.

Scenes from the LA riots. Photo: Terasa Livingstone

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Mrs Livingstone and Mr Traval live on Melrose Avenue, an iconic Californian shopping street.

On Saturday she went outdoors to film the scenes close to her home.

“America is on fire. Everybody is mad as hell,” she said in a video, alleging: “That cop murdered George Floyd in broad daylight.

“It’s not right, it’s not fair. I’m with you. Tell us how to fix it. Every second storefront is smashed and looted.

“I’ve never seen anything like it and I really hope I never see anything like it again.”

The five-minute video shows Ralph Lauren and Adidas shops being smashed into, with people running out with boxes.

Later it shows dozens of bikes being pushed out of a store before what sounds like guns being fired on a nearby street.

Mrs Livingstone slammed the looters saying “this blatant disregard for others property is not for George”.

“On the corner” where Mrs Livingstone and Mr Traval live. Photo: Terasa Livingstone

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Speaking to the Bulletin this morning, Mrs Livingstone said the couple have had a “sleepless” past week due to the looting nearby.

“We’re a bit sleepless,” she said.

While speaking to the Bulletin, Mrs Livingstone said she was getting dressed to head to a protest a block away.

“What do you wear to a protest?,” she said.

“We’re going there to support the real issues, rather than the looters who are taking advantage of the (situation). It’s not a black and white problem. It’s a human problem and it’s a global problem.

Out the front of Adidas on Melrose Avenue. Photo: Terasa Livingstone

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“I just think all of us standing together with one voice is how shit changes. It’s not right what the minorities have had to deal with for generations.”

Mrs Livingstone was a Seven presenter before moving to New York in 2000. She now hosts a weekly podcast called EXTRAORDINAIRES.

Mr Traval has starred in some of America’s most well-known TV series including All Saints, Jessica Jones, Dexter, NCIS and Dynasty.

Wil Traval. Picture: Supplied.

TESARA LIVINGSTONE’S FACEBOOK POST

“Wil & I broke curfew last night. (Don’t yell at me please) because the riots and looters came right to our doorstep.

“Explosions at our corner. Bats, hammers, rocks.

“We had to get out with our cameras and onto our streets, to see this moment and feel it for ourselves.

“I want you to know this looting frenzy is not the protest to affect change.

“This blatant disregard for others’ property is not for George.

“This is an opportunity to take for themselves.

“Young people of all colours out to steal what this life won’t afford them.

“Black. Whites. Latino. Angry, high on chaos, Women & Men.

“Young people en masse, on a full on crime spree, right in our neighbourhoods.

“While the police are dealing with the peaceful protesters, (while themselves behaving in despicable ways in some cases) our country’s little anarchists are out to steal their share & rage against the man.

“Please don’t blame all of this fallout on the black community. This is running parallel to the real issue.

“Can we get the focus back to police brutality please!! #blacklivesmatter #justiceforgeorgefloyd.”