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Businesses Aren't Take Any Chances During the DNC. Here's What Downtown Chicago Looks Like.

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  August 17, 2024 9:00 PM

It's starting to look like 2020 in Chicago, as downtown businesses are preparing for next week’s Democratic National Convention by boarding up their storefronts. 

Thousands of pro-Hamas protesters and other activists are expected to descend on the city and store owners, many of whom have experience with past looters, are attempting to minimize the risk to their stores during the convention. 

Scott Schapiro, who owns the Syd Jerome menswear shop on Clark Street, said he wasn’t taking any chances during this convention — where thousands of protesters are expected — since his store has been looted by vandals four separate times in the past.

“You get that phone call in the middle of the night and your heart jumps out of your chest,” he told the outlet.

“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,” Schapiro explained. 

Schapiro said the store will remain open but the boards will stay up for the duration of the DNC, which runs from Aug. 19 to Aug. 22. He said he won’t hesitate to temporarily close his shop at the first sign of trouble.

“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.” (New York Post)

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson insists the city is ready and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has dismissed fears that the 2024 Democratic National Convention could end up mirroring the 1968 convention. 

“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,” he told NBC Chicago, reports the New York Post.