The United States Prepare For Civil Unrest On Election Day
From New York City to Chicago, stores are boarding up in ahead of Election Day preparing for potential civil unrest. Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square, New York City is boarded up but remain accessible to customers.
Alex Provenzano, who owns a salon in downtown Washington, D.C., installed his door and window coverings Wednesday, not knowing whether next week’s election would prompt a replay of the protests earlier this year in which some businesses were damaged.
“I’m usually a very positive person; I hope for the best,” he said. “But the people are very stressed out, and there is a lot of uncertainty in the country right now. It’s pretty scary.” In Washington, D.C., George Washington University’s student affairs staff warned students to prepare for prolonged unrest in the district by stocking up on essential supplies, such as frozen foods and medication. “We suggest preparing for the Election Day period as you would for a hurricane or a snowstorm that would prevent you from going outside for several days to grab food or order takeout,” according to an email sent to students. Some Trump supporters declared there will be violence and many black women have armed themselves in preparation of potential civil unrest. According to USA TODAY, Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot pleaded with residents to demonstrate safely on and after Election Day. “What I’m encouraging people to do is to express themselves … but do it in a way that honors our traditions,” Lightfoot said during a news conference Friday. “We don’t have the right to take out our frustration, our anger, on someone else.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio addressed concerns of fallout of an unpredictable Election Day. No matter the makeup of a protest, the mayor said peaceful protests will be respected and facilitated, but any violence would be stopped immediately.
“We’re going to be prepared for a lot of protests, prolonged protests, potentially different protest groups confronting each other. It’s too early to tell what that’s going to look like,” de Blasio told WNYC’s Brian Lehrer. NBC Chanel 4 New York