With the 2020 US presidential election just a day away, scores of New York City businesses have taken no chances and boarded up their storefronts over fears of potential civil unrest and riots.
Stores in Soho, Midtown, and other parts of Manhattan have already fortified their glass windows with plywood ahead of Tuesday’s face-off between President Trump and his Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden.
Shops including Chanel on Spring Street and Moncler on Prince Street in Soho, Levi’s and Gucci in the neighborhood and others along Greene Street like Dior and Tiffany have taken those precautions.
Also boarded up were chain stores such as Staples, Ann Taylor, and a Bed Bath & Beyond in Chelsea, as well as the iconic Macy’s flagship in Herald Square.
High-end Manhattan retailers like Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Louis Vuitton, Bergdorf Goodman, Dolce & Gabbana and Tourneau have also boarded up their storefronts.
The NYPD has warned shopkeepers in neighborhoods that are usual protest hotspots to take extra precautions before the upcoming general election, a police official has said.
The official added that the NYPD did not tell businesses to board up their stores, but left it to the discretion of the owners.
In a letter to businesses and restaurants, the NYPD’s Manhattan South Patrol Borough, which covers 59th Street and below, said it would be implementing safety measures to “prevent pedestrian overflow” onto city streets.
There are no “specific reports or specific threats at this point,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a City Hall press briefing Monday morning.
“Everyone, of course, is concerned about the election results and what plays out after. But I want to emphasize, at this moment, we don’t see a specific challenge,” Hizzoner said. “We are ready for all sorts of challenges. A lot of preparation has been happening over the last few weeks.”
De Blasio said that the city has not given guidance to store owners to board up their businesses, “But if that’s what they choose to do, we certainly understand.”
No matter what happens after Election Day, de Blasio claimed the city is prepared.
“There’s plenty of situations where the City of New York and the NYPD have to handle huge, huge numbers of people, so we’re prepared,” the mayor said, adding, “We’ll be ready for anything.”
Meanwhile, shops in other cities across the US, including San Francisco, as well as in the nation’s capital, have also placed boards over their storefronts in anticipation of election-related chaos and turmoil.
It was reported Monday that crews at the White House will build a “non-scalable” fence around the entire complex ahead of the election. https://nypost.com/2020/11/02/white-house-building-non-scalable-fence-for-election-day-protection/
