Businesses in deep blue Portland, Oregon and Washington, DC, are boarding up in preparation for potential unrest ahead of Election Day.
Banks, small businesses, and office buildings in downtown Portland can be seen with plywood secured over doors and windows to protect properties from damage, The Oregonian reported. Leftist and anarchist protesters notably rioted for nights on end after Donald Trump was elected in 2016 and terrorized the city in 2020 following the death of George Floyd.
“If your sports team loses, do you go out and break windows?” said real estate developer Jordan Schnitzer, who owns the Pacific Center officer tower on Southwest Sixth Avenue. He said he had spent approximately $20,000 boarding up three of his downtown buildings, calling the effort precautionary.