SoHo showed the scars Monday morning of another night of protests against police brutality.
Local residents and tourists wearing masks stopped to watch workers repair windows of high-end shops and national brands, smashed the night before.
Storefronts along Broadway showed the signs of a night of clashes.
Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
SoHo-based fashion designer and store owner Nicolas Petrou ran to his business Sunday night after seeing reports of looting and damage during protests in the area.
The door to Broadway Market Co., which gives space to local artisans, was smashed and some sneakers stolen, Petrou and other workers said. The designer was initially alarmed by the destruction, but soon put the losses into perspective.
Nicolas Petrou
Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
“You have to look at the overall picture here. It’s not one broken store. It doesn’t mean anything,” the designer said while siting in front of his Broadway storefront Monday morning.
“The overall result of this, hopefully, will be that the people who take the money, influence elections, can influence the police to change their laws on how they deal when a cop kills an innocent person.”
Workers repair damage to a SoHo shoe store.
Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
While the damage was extensive, repairs were being made quickly Monday and many stores appeared to have plenty of merchandise.
A Guardian Angel looks over damage to SoHo businesses.
Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
Yet remnants of violent encounters remained. The charred innards of a torched NYPD vehicle littered the street.
Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
And some advertisements created jarring juxtapositions.
Lululemon’s SoHo store was damaged during protest.
Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
Some of New York’s most vulnerable were also caught up in the conflict.
Abed Campos said he was sleeping under scaffolding on Lafayette Street when he was suddenly awoken by screaming.
Abed Campos
Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
“It was a nightmare. It was very scary,” Campos said. “I was jumping out of the sleeping bag, standing on top of the sleeping bag because I didn’t know what was going to happen.”
He said he was “hit with a firecracker,” but managed to avoid any serious injury. He fell back asleep at about 5 a.m., before rising again for another day on the streets of New York.
