With what is expected to be one of the most heated elections in history, some store owners in parts of Manhattan have boarded up windows and doors in case there are any demonstrations in advance of voting on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
According to reports, among the businesses to begin boarding up were Staples, high-end shops in Soho, jewelry stores, Bed Bath & Beyond, and even Macy’s flagship location in Herald Square.
Other retailers such as Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Louis Vuitton, Bergdorf Goodman, Dolce & Gabbana and Tourneau have also boarded up their storefronts.
The NYPD previously warned business owners to be prepared for potential unrest on Election Day, though never went as far as to advise them to board up storefronts.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio previously said that the NYPD is more prepared and better equipped to deal with potential demonstrations than the department was when looting and rioting broke out over the summer over “Black Lives Matter” protests.
“For those who want to express themselves, the way to do so is peacefully,” he said. “We are prepared, (but) we’re going into something we haven’t seen before.”
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