As Chicago braced for another night of protests over the death of George Floyd, business owners downtown and throughout the city’s neighborhoods were still reeling Sunday and Monday from destruction and looting, following what started as peaceful protests. The smashing of windows and theft of merchandise only compounded the problems of many shops and stores that have been hit hard by stay-at-home orders during the coronavirus pandemic.
At least 45 — and possibly upwards of 130 — businesses were vandalized downtown Saturday night and Sunday morning, according to two Loop business organizations. Many more were hit in other areas of the city on Sunday evening. Owners and volunteers have spent the following days cleaning up broken glass and other damage, assessing their losses, and prepping for more nights of protests.
Here’s what the destruction looked like throughout the city on Sunday and Monday.
Content warning: The signs or graffiti in some photos contain language that may be offensive to some people.
West Side
At Smoke Garden in the West Humboldt neighborhood, right, owner Ahmad Abunasser says they will probably have to stay closed for about a month. Loop Liquors at Chicago and Ashland avenues was raided, but the restaurant next door did not appear to suffer any damage. Carrie Shepherd/WBEZ
A condo building in Chicago’s Ukrainian Village neighborhood.
Signs on boarded up businesses in Wicker Park. Michael Lansu/WBEZ
North Side
Apple Bite Mart in Lakeview began boarding up its business in anticipation of more protests on Monday night.
Katherine Nagasawa/WBEZ
In anticipation of an evening protest at the Belmont Red Line, many Lakeview businesses board up. Katherine Nagasawa/WBEZ
A sign on The Inkling Shop in Lakeview.
Kathering Nagasawa/WBEZ
South Side
Multiple businesses had windows broken at 46th and Ashland.
Chip Mitchell/WBEZ
Multiple businesses had windows broken at 46th and Ashland.
Chip Mitchell/WBEZ
Kimbark Liquors, left, and Cedars Mediterranean Kitchen in Hyde Park's Kimbark Plaza posted signs on their windows asking looters not to target their busineses. Natalie Moore/WBEZ
The Loop
Workers sweeping up at Macy’s on State Street.
Marc Monaghan
The interior of Macy’s on State Street has been looted and graffitied.
Marc Monaghan
At the Macy's store, on the corner of State and Washington streets, a door is smashed, left, and display windows are boarded up. Marc Monaghan/WBEZ
A broken window on the Starbucks on the corner of South Wabash Avenue and East Jackson Street.
Marc Monaghan
Damage and graffiti at 2 North Wabash Avenue.
Marc Monaghan
A view into a Potbelly's on South Wabash Avenue. Marc Monaghan/WBEZ
Film dropped on the sidewalk of Central Camera at 230 S. Wabash Ave. Marc Monaghan/WBEZ
The looted and burnt storefront display area of Central Camera at 230 South Wabash Avenue.
Marc Monaghan
Nick Boskovich, owner of Hi-Vibe organic juice shop at Kinzie and Lasalle was sweeping up broken glass Sunday morning. Boskovich said he was worried more damage would happen tonight.
Bridges up along the Chicago Rivers following a night of protest.
Marc Monaghan
A man sits with his belongings near the Wabash and Madison CTA station. Service was suspended on all CTA buses and trains starting at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
Marc C. Monaghan
A man pushes a shopping cart north along the South Wabash sidewalk. Marc Monaghan/WBEZ
Boarded up windows and door of Champs Sports on South State Street. Marc Monaghan/WBEZ
Two young women look through a box of looted merchandise they found on the sidewalk.
Marc Monaghan
Michigan Avenue
A Chicago Police Officer exits the looted Nike Store on Michigan Avenue.
Marc C. Monaghan
A broken window of a Fifth Third Bank branch at Wacker Drive and State Street. Marc Monaghan/WBEZ
Volunteers clean debris from planters and the sidewalk along Michigan Avenue. Marc Monaghan/WBEZ
A woman walks by of a looted and defaced Starbucks on Michigan Avenue.
Marc Monaghan
A man throws broken glass in a dumpster. Marc Monaghan/WBEZ
Grafitti on a sign on North Michigan Avenue. Tracy Brown/WBEZ
The last doughnut.
Marc C. Monaghan
Suburbs
Binny's Beverage Depot in north suburban Skokie had windows smashed out. Monica Eng/WBEZ
At Bess Friedman's Jewelry in Orland Park, looters smashed jewelry counters. Beth Follenweider/WBEZ
Mary Hall is a digital producer at WBEZ. Follow her @hall_marye. Katherine Nagasawa is WBEZ’s audience engagement producer. Follow her @Kat_Nagasawa.
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