Progressive activists have questioned municipalities’ financial support for police departments as other services are cut.
The unrest cast doubt on the partial reopening of businesses that Chicago planned for Wednesday. Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who imposed a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew on the city, restricted access to the downtown area to those who work or live there, and essential workers. At Lightfoot’s request, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is sending 375 National Guard soldiers to the city, and all bus and rail service was suspended from 6:30 p.m. Sunday until Monday morning.
Lightfoot said the violence had forced the city to consider postponing the reopening of the businesses, which have been closed for 10 weeks. “To see their hard work and their money and resources literally go up in flame, their property reduced to kindling, that’s heartbreaking,” she said.
About 135 properties in Chicago’s central business district sustained millions of dollars in damages, and that number is expected to rise as more reports come in, said Kimberly Bares, president and chief executive officer of the Magnificent Mile Association. “We were focused on sanitation and cleanliness and creating a safe place for people to come back post Covid-19. Now we have to work on making sure people feel safe anywhere they go.”
Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Sunday she was concerned the protests could spark another increase in coronavirus cases in a city that started the first phase of its reopening on May 29.
“We saw a mass gathering, basically -- we’ve been working hard for the last eight, 10 weeks on not having any mass gatherings,” Bowser said.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio raised similar concerns about a possible rise in virus cases because of the proximity of people at protests, which he called “inherently dangerous.” The city still has not met its threshold for available hospital beds to qualify for its scheduled June 8 reopening.
De Blasio said the violence wouldn’t delay the city’s plan to restart its construction, manufacturing, wholesale and curbside retail businesses. But the costs of policing the city during days of protests must be added to a budget already under stress from the lockdown’s economic costs.
“We certainly have had to employ a lot of resources for a few days and I think it could potentially go on a few more days. But I don’t think it will go on forever,” he said during a news briefing. “In terms of impact on our restart, I don’t see one. In terms of impact on our budget – something but nothing profound.”
The unrest has dented the supply lines feeding the U.S. economy. Amazon delivery drivers in Chicago and Los Angeles received messages Saturday night that said: “If you are currently out delivering packages, stop immediately and return home. If you have not completed your route, please return undelivered packages to the pick-up location whenever you’re able to do so.”