Minneapolis businesses clean up after night of vandalism, looting

Businesses in Minneapolis spent Thursday cleaning up from a night of destruction. Several restaurants, coffee shops, liquor stores and retail establishments, including Target and Nordstrom Rack, were vandalized and looted on Wednesday night.

“It’s been tough,” said Lisa Steffes, co-owner of Dahl Medical Supply. “It’s just kind of a tough, a helpless feeling today.”

Surveillance footage captured several groups stealing from their business just off Nicollet Mall. The first group broke in around 9 p.m.

“Several groups of people broke in and looted and destroyed the office as well as the equipment and storage area,” said Steffes. “Just ransacking the place and they stole computers, and scooters and other equipment.”

Steffes said customers rely on their store to fill prescriptions and provide essential items. Police responded to the business three times on Wednesday night, according to the owners.

“It’s just a really small percentage of people who are really ruining it for everybody,” Steffes said. “We’ve been getting frustrated with the downtown environment for a while but today was just really I think the straw that broke the camel’s back for us.”

While they intend to stay open at the Nicollet Mall location, they have moved some equipment to their Bloomington warehouse.

Not far away, the Saloon was also cleaning up. Assistant Manager Bobby Palmer said liquor was stolen from the bar and there was some damage.

“For us personally, it’s a bump in the road but I know there are many that are suffering that haven’t been able to open, that won’t be able to open in the future,” said Palmer. “It has hurt the community, it has hurt the city.”

He said they closed early on Wednesday to ensure the safety of staff and customers. They hope to reopen on Friday if it’s safe.

“It’s kind of like home for us so it is unsettling but it’s also a situation where we’re not letting it scare us either,” said Palmer. “We can’t let it scare us. We are a hub to the community, we mean too much to so many people so we are going to stay strong, we are going to come together, and we will do what we can to support everyone.”

City leaders voiced frustration at a news conference.

“None of this did anything to advance racial justice in our city,” City Council Member Lisa Goodman said. “Small minority-owned businesses were targeted. There was no regard for the workers and the people who have put their lifeblood into these businesses.”

Goodman pointed to the Lotus restaurant, a family-owned Vietnamese establishment that’s been in Minneapolis for decades.

“The owner said that when they broke into his business, the very first thing they did was try to tear down a picture of his family that was on the wall that represented generations of work,” said Goodman.

“Quite frankly, I am disgusted and my constituents are disgusted. They believe there needs to be changes in the city as it pertains to police activities, and they believe there is systemic racism — and so do I — but this is not the way to solve that problem and we cannot tolerate this in the city any longer.”

At Brit’s Pub on Nicollet Mall windows were broken and there was a fire set on Wednesday night.

The Minneapolis Fire Department said it responded to four fires, including at China Wok restaurant on 27th Avenue South, where they rescued two people from the second floor. According to MFD, they are still investigating whether that fire was connected to the unrest.

“I mean I get it, because I was in that certain mindset before,” said Zaire Ishmael, who was in downtown Minneapolis. “Over the years I’ve learned, and actually being in it in May and June, I just saw that it was not the way.”

He stopped downtown to go to Target on his way to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport but the store was closed. We spoke to him as he assessed the damage.

“Where is this going to get us you know?” said Ishmael. “We’re looking at Black, white, police, non-police, citizen, but it’s human beings. These police officers are scared, they have lives too and they have families and they have their concerns as well.”

Harry Greenberg, who lives about a mile from Nicollet Mall, said the unrest is indicative of a larger issue of disparity. He is a social worker.

“There are a number of people that have way more than they could ever need and there are a whole lot of people who never have what they need, there’s palpable anger and frustration,” Greenberg said. “Something’s got to give and this is what happens when people are angry, when people are frustrated. Does it make sense? Is it rational? No. But how do we get a just society?”