Preparing for election, post election riots

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After a spring of lockdowns and a summer of protests, storefront businesses across the country are girding for a potential wave of social unrest related to the election.

Ulta Beauty, whose stores were damaged in protests of George Floyd's death at the hands of police in May, told NBC News that it is boarding up stores, closing early and hiring overnight security guards in certain locations.

“We are hopeful for a peaceful week but are taking proactive measures to ensure safety for guests, our associates and our stores,” the company said.

Nordstrom said it is monitoring for any activity that might threaten employee or store security, and plans to close early on Election Day and reopen as usual the day after, Nov. 4.

In Chicago, several businesses along the Michigan Avenue shopping district have boarded up their windows in preparation for Election Day, Adam Skaf, a spokesperson for the Magnificent Mile Association, told NBC News. The group also partnered with the city to participate in an auxiliary command center on Election Day, when it will share real-time information to businesses.

Walmart, which said this week it would remove all guns and ammunition from its sales floors as a precaution, after seeing some "isolated civil unrest," announced Friday it had reversed that decision.

n the crosshairs of what may be a struggle over the result of the election are the country’s thousands of storefront businesses.

“Many have (and will be) boarding up locations or relying on other safety precautions — normally methods that are reserved for severe weather incidents (hurricanes, floods),” Tom Buiocchi, CEO of the facilities software company ServiceChannel, said in an email. “But now also for the social unrest throughout the summer of 2020 and in preparation for the upcoming national election.”

Within the last two weeks of October, roughly 310 businesses submitted work orders for preventative boarding up and dozens of businesses requested additional security guards for Election Day, according to ServiceChannel, a software company that connects real estate businesses to local commercial contractors. From May to July, the company saw about $20.4 million in invoices for work orders related to civil unrest, it said.

Some smaller businesses have decided the costs of fastening plywood to their windows is not worth the investment.

Bruce Klores, the owner of the GCDC Grilled Cheese Bar, just west of the White House, said that businesses in the area have slowly put up boards ahead of Election Day. His landlord required all tenants to board their windows on Thursday. He plans to have a full staff while the restaurant continues takeout service and has directed employees to close the restaurant if demonstrations become violent. The staff have all been trained in how to diffuse angry customers — in part because some patrons refuse to wear masks, he said.

If Biden loses there will be angry chaos.

If Biden wins there will be celebratory chaos.

If Biden loses there will be angry chaos.

If Biden wins there will be celebratory chaos.

Weighing out who's done the most rioting in the last four years the scale tilts to the left.

I don't recall there being protests and riots in 2008 and 2012.

It's hard to tell to some extent how bad things really are compared to how things have been reported.

Like what is reported from Portland vs what Portlant residents say?

I would expect a LOT more "chaos" from the more fanatical Trump supporters than from Biden supporters -- at least if the following news story is any indication:

- Biden Team Cancels Texas Event After Highway ‘Ambush’ by MAGA Cavalry by Kelly Weill, The Daily Beast, October 31, 2020 (and reported in many other news sources as well).

Business owners in Democrat-controlled cities are boarding up in preparation for an onslaught of mostly peaceful demonstrations should Trump win the election Tuesday.

The real concern is that the party of love and tolerance loses the election.

"We just want to make sure our businesses will be safe from the sudden outpouring of peace, love, and tolerance," said one frightened business owner in Los Angeles as he frantically boarded up his hookah lounge. "You know, too much peace can sometimes intensify and end up destroying millions of dollars of property. You know, from all the peace."

"Can't be too careful when there's roaming bands of people spreading peace."

Many business owners are even arming themselves with firearms to protect themselves from all the peace.

When I walked up the street to drop off my ballot, I saw 2 stores being boarded up.
They are 1 block away from the police department, and directly across the street from the fire department.