About 20 local carpenters from the Southwest Region of Carpenters Local 619 helped roughly 15 downtown businesses board up windows and doors Friday morning, as a precaution should any civil unrest continue this weekend.
The carpenters worked with the Downtown San Diego Community Partnership, which coordinated the businesses that wanted the service.
They were mainly small, locally owned businesses on E Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenue, such as Pokez Mexican Restaurant, American Shoe Repair, and FeeLit record store, among others.
None were damaged by the civil unrest that happened Sunday night downtown, following protests against racial injustice.
Rather, the business owners want to prevent any damage should any vandalism or looting occur this weekend or beyond.
The union, Southwest Carpenters Training Fund, donated 100 sheets of plywood and the tools used for the volunteer work.
Photos: Downtown ‘Justice for George’ Protest, Aftermath on May 31, 2020
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Many of the small businesses are still struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the economy and otherwise, couldn’t afford to board up windows and doors themselves.
“We support the protesters as well as we support our community," Doug Hicks of Southwest Region of Carpenters told NBC 7. "And so we’re out here today just to try and help the mom and pop shops that are struggling right now just to make it and today were hoping to give them some peace of mind and to understand we are here to stand with our community."
The Downtown San Diego Community Partnership told NBC 7 that even if businesses are capable of paying for board-up services, getting an appointment right now is next to impossible since most companies are backed up with calls.
