Downtown Chicago businesses board up amid worries of unrest during DNC

Multiple Chicago businesses boarded up storefronts in advance of potential disruptions and unrest during the Democratic National Convention.

The Garland Building, located at Wabash Avenue and Washington Street, was adorned by plywood sheets and two-by-fours on Friday – as were several other buildings in the Loop on Friday. One business owner, who said he’s no stranger to looting and smash-and-grab burglaries, decided to take precautions as well.

“You get that phone call in the middle of the night and your heart jumps out of your chest,” Scott Schapiro, the owner of Syd Jerome, a menswear shop at 20 N. Clark St., said.

Schapiro said he had to pick up the pieces four separate times after his shop was hit by looters and vandals.

“We want to sleep a little more soundly at night, and this gives us a little security, and we hope that there isn’t any incident obviously, but in the event there is, we want to have maximum protection,” he explained.

The owner said his shop will remain open for business and it’ll continue to operate during the week of the DNC – under fortified measures. If things were to get out of control, he isn’t afraid to close up shop temporarily.

Schapiro urges other business owners to take the safety of their shop and workers into their own hands.

“It’s better to be safe than sorry,” he said. “Most retailers are eternal optimists. They always think tomorrow is going to be better than today ,and you always hope for the best, but it doesn’t always work out that way.”

Despite concerns, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has expressed assurance in the city’s efforts to host a safe and productive convention.

“There’s a reason why Time Out magazine rated the city of Chicago the best for conventions, because we’re good at it,” he said at a news conference on Friday morning. “Are there individuals out there that want to disrupt the beauty of Chicago? Of course there are.”

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, in a one-on-one interview with NBC Chicago Political Reporter Mary Ann Ahern, dismissed comparisons to the 1968 convention, pointing out changes in law enforcement tactics in past decades.

“That’s not going to happen here….” Pritzker said referring to 1968, saying the problems then were started by police. “I feel pretty good about the situation and obviously the only apprehension is have we allocated enough space, is there enough protection in certain parts of the city. Those are all things superintendent Snelling and the people who’ve been organizing around this convention for the last year and a quarter have been thinking about and planning for.”