Amid protests over George Floyd’s death, numerous stores in downtown Chicago experienced looting yesterday.
The Macy’s flagship on State Street was among the stores subject to looting, with windows smashed and items carried off the main floor.
Welp. Boarding up DID NOT HELP. @cbschicago #chicagoprotest pic.twitter.com/F2Cxr1gxv8
— Jeremy Ross (@JeremyAdamRoss) May 31, 2020
Additional damage occurred at other retailers located on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, including the Nike store on Michigan Avenue as well as Neiman Marcus and multiple shops in the Water Town Place shopping center.
Nike store on Michigan Ave smashed and completely looted pic.twitter.com/IRZc4FuDBO
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) May 31, 2020
NEIMAN MARCUS LOOTED IN CHICAGO pic.twitter.com/S6zavWZnGE
— The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) May 31, 2020
Looting continued into the evening hours as some people stayed out after the city’s curfew, from 9 p.m. to 6 p.m., went into effect.
Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed black man, was killed on Monday in Minneapolis by police officer Devin Chauvin after Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck during an arrest. Chauvin has since been taken into police custody and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. Floyd’s death has sparked widespread outrage across the United States — fueling ongoing conversations about racial inequality and police brutality and causing protests in major cities from coast to coast. Brands and retailers — such as Nordstrom, Nike and Reebok — have also spoken up, calling out the injustices faced by African Americans.
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While the majority of protests have been peaceful, there have been incidents of destruction in several cities, particularly during the evening and late-night hours. On Los Angeles’ Rodeo Drive, designer shops including Gucci and Alexander McQueen looted yesterday, while New York’s SoHo saw damage last night at Adidas, North Face and more stores. Nordstrom units in both the retailer’s hometown of Seattle and at The Grove shopping center in Los Angeles were subject to looting yesterday, while Target closed over a dozen Twin Cities outposts after a store in Minneapolis was destroyed on Wednesday.
