NEW YORK – Plywood covered businesses in Midtown Manhattan once again on Friday as the city prepares for what lies ahead after the presidential election results.
Macy’s covered its windows with boards as fears grew about riots on election night and the following days. It’s a familiar sight for the weeks of protest immediately following George Floyd’s death that were accompanied by looting and destruction of businesses and public places around the district.
“Our windows at Macy’s Herald Square were previously scheduled to be dark next week in the setup of our annual holiday displays. As a precaution, we are implementing additional security measures at several of our stores,” said a company spokesperson. he said via email.
So far, Macy’s plans to maintain business hours through the weekend and through Election Day.
Mayor Bill de Blasio addressed concerns about the consequences of an unpredictable election day. Regardless of the composition of a protest, the mayor said that peaceful protests will be respected and facilitated, but that any violence will stop immediately.
“We will be prepared for many protests, protracted protests, potentially different protest groups that will face each other. It is too early to say what that will be like,” de Blasio told WNYC’s Brian Lehrer.
Not far from Macy’s main department store, the windows of the T-Mobile store in Times Square were covered with protective plywood in the afternoon. It’s unclear how many stores have already taken precautions, but that number is expected to rise as the countdown to Election Day ticks down.
New York Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said the department has been advising some Midtown businesses to remove their merchandise from the sidewalks to allow potential protesters to move unhindered.
“We are not telling people to close their stores, but we are getting those questions from people,” Shea told WCBS 880 on Friday.
Earlier this month, the NYPD issued a memorandum notifying all uniformed officers that they should be prepared for deployment because protests could intensify before and after Election Day. But NYPD chiefs also said they have no indication the protesters are anything but peaceful while the vote is processed.
“At this time we do not have a specific credible threat regarding this election,” said John Miller, deputy chief of intelligence and counterterrorism for the NYPD. “We are prepared to receive any reports of intimidation or electoral fraud.”
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