Reopening Retracted: Bay Area Businesses Again Board Up Storefronts as Looting Continues
LOS GATOS (KPIX) -- As looters hit major malls and retailers then set their sights on businesses in smaller towns, business owners across the Bay Area began to heed warnings and board up.
In Los Gatos, Palo Alto, San Mateo and Danville, many small business owners are trying to protect stores and restaurants that have already been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Destroying businesses, things that people work hard for, I don't condone that," said Dante Tan who owns Fitnatixx in Danville. "We're just here to protect ourselves, you know? These are extra dollars that we got to spend knowing that with this COVID-19 that hit us, we're not even getting paid."
Jessica Govea, who owns Golden State Hauling and Demolition, said she and her crew have been working non-stop to board up businesses in Palo Alto and the Peninsula.
"They want it boarded up because they're concerned that they might be a target over the weekend," said Govea.
She said she has been hired to board up retailers, offices, banks and even historical buildings.
While many cities have enacted curfews to help deter riots and looting, some cities have not, posing a problem for cities adjacent to others without a curfew.
"What's going on here it's very sad," said Palo Alto resident Veronika Westin. "It's very shocking and it's very scary, very scary."
