Downtown Vancouver retailers board up storefronts (PHOTOS)

COVID-19 disclaimer: As recommended by BC’s provincial health officer, if you choose to attend public demonstrations, please adhere to COVID-19 health safety measures, including proper physical distancing and wearing a mask.

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Some retailers across Downtown Vancouver are boarding up their storefronts ahead of Friday’s anti-racism protests.

The demonstration follows last Sunday’s massive event at the Vancouver Art Gallery, demanding justice for George Floyd. Friday’s protest is being held at Canada Place and will begin at 4 pm PST in front of the Olympic Cauldron.

• See also: 
  • Horgan addresses gatherings of over 50 people at protests
  • An anti-racism protest is happening at Canada Place today
  • Massive turnout at Vancouver’s protest over George Floyd’s death

While last Sunday’s protest in Vancouver remained peaceful, similar events around the world turned violent after escalating tensions between police and protesters.

Photos have since surfaced on social media, showing the exteriors of retail stores being covered in plywood as a precaution over any possible riots and looting.

Stores along Robson and Alberni are boarding up again. This time they are afraid of a riots. #Vancouver pic.twitter.com/ZNNY8wCIWU

— Karm Sumal (@KarmSumal) June 3, 2020

🇨🇦 VANCOUVER is boarding up stores in preparing for tomorrow’s peaceful protesting. Opportunists and racial dividers, instigators stay home please thank you! pic.twitter.com/kMWYqaL3JC

— Melita Sekgwa – 멜리 타 숲 (@MelitaSekgwa) June 4, 2020

It looks like they’re boarding up the big box stores in downtown #Vancouver in anticipation of something happening down here. pic.twitter.com/uvi2hqCCEF

— Wyatt-Mitchell Tierney (@DazedOverYou) June 2, 2020

#Vancouver is boarding up again. pic.twitter.com/t7mGDue1ag

— Farhan Mohamed (@farhanmohamed) June 4, 2020

Boards going up again around downtown Vancouver. *starts playing Les Mis soundtrack* pic.twitter.com/8YY7QTegek

— Andrea Alcaraz (@andyalcaraz) June 5, 2020

3/

Another store in downtown Vancouver that opened up but have closed again, and are boarding up again. pic.twitter.com/d1qu0OsjUa

— @reiver ⊼ (Charles Iliya Krempeaux) (@reiver) June 4, 2020

4/

Yet another store in downtown Vancouver that opened up, but is in the middle of boarding up again, and possibly closing again. pic.twitter.com/uSeeZe5O0s

— @reiver ⊼ (Charles Iliya Krempeaux) (@reiver) June 4, 2020

Having only taken down this 10-12 feet of plywood just last week, it’s going up again. Looks like @Nordstrom Vancouver isn’t taking any chances. 6 security guards standing near the entrances too. pic.twitter.com/K0PWp5LI35

— Andrew Johns (@AndrewNJohns) June 3, 2020

 

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A post shared by GoToVan (@gotovan888) on Jun 2, 2020 at 4:03pm PDT

 

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A post shared by hidepooh (@hidepooh888) on Jun 2, 2020 at 4:13pm PDT

Nordstrom’s Pacific Centre location was one of the first major retailers to announce a temporary closure.

“To help keep our employees and customers safe, we are adjusting hours and temporarily closing stores in some locations,” the company said in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, some of our storefronts are being boarded.”

Jacob Callender-Prasad, one of the organizers of Friday’s protest, has also addressed concerns over riots and looting, stressing that the event “needs to stay peaceful.”

“We do not want anything going wrong,” Callender-Prasad emphasized. “We don’t want any riots, we don’t want any fights, we would like to keep it peaceful.”

The organizer adds that “nobody wants to see the community we work in get destroyed” and that “if you are going to start a riot, you are not wanted.”

“If this gets violent, we diminish everything we’ve worked for.”