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George Floyd fallout: As Chicago begins reopening from pandemic, city leaders say they are cautiously optimistic amid calming protests

On Chicago’s first day easing coronavirus restrictions on city businesses, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and police Superintendent David Brown expressed hope that civil unrest over the death of George Floyd was calming. But, they said, the city remains on guard against both the COVID-19 disease and looting.

“We’re still only one day where we have some calming of the activities of looting and disorderly conduct. We are not letting our guard down,” Brown said. “We’re cautiously optimistic but prepared for this to escalate in case it does.”

Meanwhile, a bittersweet mix of cautious optimism and painful reality greeted the resumption of Chicago’s retail and dining operations from 75th Street to the Southport Corridor on Wednesday. Restaurants were restricted to outdoor operations on an aptly unsettled day with showers, while retail outlets had to deal with limited capacity and other regulations designed to hedge against any worrisome spike in COVID-19 infections. Nervousness on all fronts was pervasive.

Here are the latest developments:

8:50 p.m.: Hundreds gather for vigil in Lake Forest

Several hundred people gathered Wednesday evening in the center of a largely boarded-up Lake Forest Market Square to call attention to the death of George Floyd and reflect on the experiences of local black residents.

Recent Lake Forest High School graduate and current Amherst College freshman Gabriella Moore was one of the co-organizers of the event, along with some of her former classmates.

“I think because our community is so predominantly white and so wealthy we have so many ways we can contribute to the lives of people who have been oppressed by our country and we don’t know how,” Moore said. “The main goal of this demonstration is to educate people in this town on how they can do better.”

The crowd listened to speakers, including area residents who shared personal stories about issues of race.

Former Chicago Bears player Rashied Davis spoke of his own experiences with racial profiling going back to his childhood in Los Angeles. He recalled growing up amid the Rodney King riots and his own negative experiences with police.

The only difference between then and now, he said, is that now people have cell phones and cameras to capture the interactions.

“I’m 40 years old and I’m exhausted from having this fight,” Davis said.

7:42 p.m.: Family alleges brutal police restraint with knee on neck in Chicago arrest caught on video

Tnika Tate, 39, said she was parking near a looted mall Sunday when Chicago police surrounded the vehicle, broke the windows and searched Tate and a group of four friends and relatives in the car with her.

Tate said an officer restrained her cousin Mia Wright, 25, by placing a knee on Wright’s neck while she was prone on the ground. Wright was charged with disorderly conduct and released Monday, according to police and the family.

A video of part of the incident was taken by family friend James Smith, 40, who was driving in a second car. A copy of the video was first published by the nonprofit digital news organization Block Club Chicago, and Smith provided the Tribune with a copy later Wednesday.

“She never resisted. It could have been something deadly,” Tate told the Tribune on Wednesday.

Wright declined to comment. The use of kneeling to restrain someone in police custody has been under scrutiny nationwide since George Floyd died after being held down by an officer in Minneapolis who used his knee to restrain Floyd.

Police spokeswoman Kellie Bartoli said Wright was placed into custody and charged with disorderly conduct after she was observed by responding officers “assembled with three or more persons for the purpose of using force or violence to disturb the peace.” Read more here. —David Jackson

6:56 p.m.: Full tables on Randolph Street — but many restaurants remain boarded up

Although many of the restaurants on Randolph Street’s Restaurant Row were boarded up, the ones that were open for outdoor dining had full tables of people eating and drinking wine under tents set up on the sidewalk. The stretch is one of six streets selected by the city to be allowed to close to make room for additional outdoor dining space, but clearly the area isn’t ready.

Restaurants like Jaipur and Forno Rosso were open, while such powerhouses as Girl & the Goat and Lena Brava were not yet hosting outdoor dining.

Dozens of people were walking their dogs, running or waiting in line to pick up orders from restaurants and drink shops. Some were wearing masks, but most more were not.

Nearby on Morgan Street, Bar Takito’s sidewalk tables were full, with a line of would-be diners waiting. —Grace Wong

6:35 p.m.: Caravan of cars calls attention to police brutality

Hundreds of vehicles circled through a busy stretch of Bronzeville, with motorists blaring their horns or waving signs from open windows to show support for the Black Lives Matter campaign.

Along 35th Street near the Chicago police’s Public Safety headquarters on South Michigan Avenue, carloads of people of varying ages and ethnicities circled through the drag of small businesses while pedestrians took photos or cheered them on from sidewalks.

A cadre of police officers formed a barricade around the building, keeping motorists to Indiana Avenue and King Drive.

The caravan was organized by several activist organizations, including the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Black Lives Matter Chicago and Southsiders for Unity and Liberation.

The peaceful car protest — similar to recent protests against conditions in county jail facilities during the COVID-19 outbreak — was set up to call attention to police brutality concerns following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. His death from apparent asphyxiation after an officer kneeled on his neck has set off unrest and looting across the country. —William Lee

6:22 p.m.: New giant patio space opens in West Loop and people are ready for it

Two inflatable tube men — one red, one blue — danced chaotically in front of Recess Wednesday afternoon, signaling that the brand new patio had opened and was ready for customers. A sign out front confirmed it.

Originally part of City Hall, the 14,000-square-feet patio in the West Loop is now part of Recess, a restaurant and bar. It was rebranded when Joe Manna, chief operating officer, realized the name was confusing to guests, who kept finding the government offices instead of the restaurant.

Two hours after opening Wednesday, Recess already had more than 100 guests, with the majority of reservations yet to arrive. Reservations for this weekend’s brunch are already full. The bar will close Wednesday at 8 p.m. so people can get home before curfew.

Diners have been pretty good about wearing their masks, and sometimes when they leave their table and forget, they return to put them on.

“So many people in this area have watched this place go up and have been waiting for the patio to be open,” Manna said. “So many people have been like, ‘finally.'”

“This side is a little more fun,” he said, noting the nods to politics in Chicago featured in their menu item names.

Construction on the former parking lot completed recently, and the design is an homage to the neighborhood, with more than 30 stacked shipping containers on the perimeter to create a more exclusive feel while remaining functional for seating and the bar.

Recess is serving a limited menu with plans to expand, but for now, they’re focusing on sandwiches, appetizers and salads, plus frozen cocktails and other libations. Guests who spend more than $10 on food can even receive a free haircut.

Although they’ve been building the multi-level space since the building opened last summer, they quickly finished final touches once they heard the governor’s order two weeks ago.

He said employees are excited to get back to work and customers are excited to dine out again.

“The goal here is to inject some positivity right now,” Manna said. —Grace Wong

6:11 p.m.: Wrigleyville awakens with classic bars filling up

The old standbys showed up in Wrigleyville for Wednesday’s business reopening, while relative newcomers — including all of the Hotel Zachary properties — held out.

Neighborhood go-to’s like Murphy’s Bleachers and Deuces + Diamonds were well occupied, with more guests arriving as time moved further past 5 p.m. Clark Street almost resembled what it might look like on a “normal” weeknight, with plenty of walkers, joggers, bikers, dogs — the works.

At Deuce’s, which has a sizable patio adjacent to the bar, general manager Jasper Robinson said they opened for lunch and had enjoyed a decent crowd all day.

The bar does have a limited menu for right now, since operators held off on placing a complete food order following the civil unrest in the area this past weekend. They just wanted to be sure the bar could open Wednesday before all orders were placed.

Tucked on the other side of Wrigley, Murphy’s Bleachers was popping enough to even have a momentary wait. Social distancing was in effect, though, between the patio tables, in the back, as well as in the line out front.

Michael Baruch and Madison Shelist live in the neighborhood and said they had been anticipating today’s reopening. After seeing what was open, they settled on Murphy’s.

“It’s the neighborhood spot,” Baruch said simply. —Adam Lukach

5:41 p.m.: Pritzker adds 5 more counties to disaster proclamation following unrest

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday added five counties to a disaster proclamation aimed at boosting recovery efforts in areas of the state that have seen or may see unrest or looting in the wake of the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis.

Pritzker added Lake, Peoria, Rock Island, Stephenson and Williamson counties to the disaster proclamation he issued on Monday for several other counties in the state, including Cook, Du Page and Will.

The counties included in the disaster proclamation are areas where there’s “a threat for looting or destruction through planned protests,” local jurisdictions that have requested state resources or have “critical infrastructure,” according to a news release Pritzker’s office issued Wednesday evening.

Pritzker activated 375 Illinois National Guard members on Sunday to assist the Chicago Police Department to help enforce street closures. Another 250 Guard members were activated Monday to stage at facilities around the state as they await Illinois State Police instructions on deployment.

The State Emergency Operations Center in Springfield is monitoring the response operations within the state and processing requests from local government. —Jamie Munks

5:13 p.m.: Saved by a large patio and large shade trees in Hyde Park

Alexander Argirov has been through a lot since his restaurant Ascione Bistro opened last year at 1500 E. 55th St. in Hyde Park. The original plan was dine-in only, with an emphasis on their spacious patio, shaded by large trees. Now, that outdoor space is the key to bouncing back after the damage the pandemic wrought on his business.

“I feel really bad for other people in the business who don’t have space for that,” he said, adding that other restaurants on the block would have to resort to putting tables and chairs on the sidewalk, which requires various permits and licenses.

During the pandemic, he had to adjust the Italian restaurant’s menu to ensure that the food would travel well. He added family meals and specials, and hired servers as delivery drivers. Now, he’s splitting the business between dine-in on the patio and takeout or delivery, neither of which were part of the original plan.

“We can’t survive if people aren’t dining in,” he said. “We’ve adapted everything so we can grow in a different way, but we would like to go back to normal when of course, everything is ready.”

David Barlow, 31, who lives downtown, was dining with a friend at Ascione Bistro Wednesday afternoon.

“I’m just happy they’re open, it’s about time,” Barlow said. “All these other business are going to fail if they don’t start opening. We were at a different restaurant in Schaumburg a week ago and their seating capacity was like 100 tables and now they’re down to 14, and it’s kind of like a slaughter of business. I feel bad for them.” —Grace Wong

5:05 p.m.: Shopping centers hit by looting and vandalism look to reopen next week instead

Sandy Sigal, president and CEO of NewMark Merrill Companies, said he thinks most stores in NewMark Merrill’s shopping centers that weren’t already open as essential businesses will delay reopening in the wake of the unrest in Chicago.

“No one wants to have a false reopening,” he said. “In the normal scheme, we would be promoting tenants through our own social media. It doesn’t feel appropriate, and we can’t in good conscience promote for people to go into areas with curfews, where things might change from minute to minute.”

Two of NewMark Merrill’s Chicago-area shopping centers had at most minor damage. At Stony Island Plaza, 14 of 20 stores were broken into and vandalized, from a Jewel-Osco that had just been remodeled last year to Foot Locker to H&R Block, he said. Winston Plaza in Melrose Park had a few broken windows.

Neighborhood groups helped clean up Monday, and in the meantime, Sigal said stores in his shopping centers are boarding up windows and blocking entrances and exits to make it tougher for people intent on doing damage to quickly get in and out.

“This was not good for our momentum this week,” Sigal said. “Hopefully we can focus more on reopening next week.” —Lauren Zumbach

5:02 p.m.: Lightfoot signs onto pledge organized by Obama to review use of force policies

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has signed onto a pledge organized by former President Barack Obama to review the city’s use of force policies.

Obama held a town hall where he addressed race and policing amid unrest stemming from the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd. He asked mayors across the nation to sign a pledge to review their city’s use of force policies, engage communities for their input, report their findings and reform the policies.

An Obama foundation official then announced that Lightfoot was an early adopter.

In a televised speech on Tuesday, Lightfoot laid out a series of long-stalled police reform measures she wants to implement within 90 days, which include teaching Chicago cops about the history of neighborhoods taught from the perspective of community members, inspired by youth-led neighborhood tours done by My Block, My Hood, My City.

The city also will implement an officer wellness program and complete an officer support program that supports cops in crisis, mandate crisis intervention and procedural justice training for all officers, and establish a new recruit program on police-community relations and community policing with views from the community about what works, she said.

But those measures have drawn criticism for not going far enough, and Lightfoot’s administration is in a dispute with activists over how a civilian oversight commission of the Police Department would work, with critics wanting more power given to people outside City Hall.

Lightfoot has a long, complicated history in the local police reform movement. She’s a former federal prosecutor who headed the board that oversees police discipline and chaired the Police Accountability Task Force formed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. But she is often criticized by activists as being pro-police. —Gregory Pratt

4:46 p.m.: Small Northwest Side shops’ return following pandemic shutdowns is slowed by recent unrest

The lights are slowly blinking on in the small storefronts that stretch down Fullerton Avenue west of Kimball Avenue.

But in this modest microcosm of The City that Works, lined with mom-and-pop restaurants and independent clothing shops, many storefronts remained shuttered Wednesday. Other shops planned to close long before sundown, with owners anxious about the safety of their staffs and the viability of their businesses.

Armando Pantoja said his Festa Pizzeria restaurant, 3525 W. Fullerton Ave., was attacked Sunday evening by would-be looters who demanded free pizza and threw chairs around before they dispersed.

A nearby pawnshop and a liquor store were targeted by burglars who broke windows Sunday, he and other neighborhood business owners said. And so he has been closing early, forgoing the busy evening hours.

“I lost more business with the protests than the virus,” said Pantoja, who said he has owned Festa for almost 18 years.

The small restaurant was open but dim Wednesday morning, with plywood covering the windows. “Through the pandemic, we were okay, but this new thing – you can’t be safe,” he said.

After a furlough of more than two months, haircutter Yolanda Hernandez said she was relieved to be back at her chair at Darlene’s Unisex, 3442 W Fullerton. But Hernandez said she was closing the shop in the early afternoon Wednesday because of the violence that scarred nearby businesses Sunday evening.

“I feel afraid of what is going on,” Hernandez said. “I feel safe from the virus, but it’s scary seeing all these people running around and taking stuff from businesses that are working hard.” Read more here. —David Jackson

4:33 p.m.: Pizzerias open for business along North Michigan Avenue

Outdoor dining along North Michigan Avenue is sparse any time, given the expensive real estate. The damage to multiple storefronts during looting this past weekend took a toll. But Labriola Chicago (535 N. Michigan Ave.), the pizza and sandwich restaurant just off the main drag, was open for outdoor dining Wednesday.

On the walkway built out over Grand Avenue, Labriola has patio space for more than 60 people, more than half the restaurant’s capacity. In mid-afternoon, just two tables were taken. Still, Matthew Graham, chief operating officer, was grateful to be reopening for on-premise dining.

“The Mag Mile is not what anyone expected it to be right now. We hope it gets put back together,” Graham said, referencing the unrest. “It’s an unfortunate time, hopefully this is the first step in things coming back.”

On the other side of Michigan Avenue, and tucked along a walkway behind the Trump Tower, Bongiorno’s Cucina and Italiana & Pizzeria had served eight tables outside by mid-afternoon.

“If it wasn’t for this building, I don’t think we’d have these windows,” Elizabeth Bongiorno, co-owner of Bongiorno’s, explained while looking back to Trump Tower. Without the added police presence near the building during the unrest, she thinks that the windows would have been broken. “A lot of restaurants can’t even open because they lost everything, so we’re pretty lucky we’re here.”

Two police officers could be seen inside the pizza place ordering takeout. Bongiorno brushed it off as status quo. “They know a lot of us, we know a lot of them,” she said, nodding to the officers.

Before the coronavirus shutdown, the restaurant saw many sales go to business people who worked in office buildings in the area. Now, the restaurant is limited to residential customers. But Bongiorno said she had been fielding calls Wednesday afternoon about reservations for the evening. —Kasondra Van Treek

4:12 p.m.: At Wheaton rally, reflections about racial injustice locally and across the country

Carmin Awadzi came to a Black Lives Matter rally in Wheaton Wednesday out of fear. Two of her children were going, and she wanted to make sure nothing bad happened to them. She even told her 16-year-old son to wear his Wheaton Warrenville South High School sweatshirt as he headed out the door so people would know he belonged.

“That’s our lives every single day here in Wheaton,” she said. “And I’m having to explain that to people — people that we’ve known for a very long time, educated people who are professionals. My husband and I are in the 1 percent but it still doesn’t matter.”

The rally, held in Wheaton’s Adams Park, drew a diverse, young-skewing crowd of several hundred who listened to speakers offer their analyses and reflections about racial injustice throughout America and close to home.

A middle-aged white man, speaking through a bullhorn, described how his eyes had been opened to the statistically verified disadvantages African Americans endure in the U.S. He described a recent encounter where he spotted a broken taillight on a car driven by a black man and rushed to let him know.

“We both knew why I did that,” he said. “I won’t get pulled over for that. He will. And if an angry policeman pulls him over, it might not go well. A $4 brake light (might have) saved his life, and that’s got to change.”

Isaiah Ross, a black man who grew up in Wheaton and now lives in Carol Stream, said he has had numerous unpleasant encounters with police throughout DuPage County, which has a black population of only 5 percent.

“Most of my experiences have been ones of disrespect,” he said. “I can blatantly see that this really isn’t a problem. Why am I being pressured so hard?”

But he and Awazdi said they were stirred by the Wheaton event and the larger movement protesting the police killing of George Floyd and other black Americans, and were hopeful that things might soon be different.

“These young kids, the millennials, I believe there’s definitely going to be a change,” Awazdi said before the crowd marched to Wheaton City Hall past numerous boarded-up businesses. “I’m inspired by it.” —John Keilman

3:58 p.m.: Chicago leaders cautiously optimistic as city reopens amid calming protests

On Chicago’s first day easing coronavirus restrictions on city businesses, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and police Superintendent David Brown expressed hope that the city’s civil unrest was calming.

But, they said, the city remains on guard against both the COVID-19 disease and looting.

“We’re still only one day where we have some calming of the activities of looting and disorderly conduct. We are not letting our guard down,” Brown said. “We’re cautiously optimistic but prepared for this to escalate in case it does.”

The city’s keeping all of its resources in place, including the National Guard, and making strategic adjustments to help make sure residents in the neighborhoods feel safe, “given the looting,” Brown said.

Still, after being rocked by widespread looting downtown and in city neighborhoods over the weekend, Chicago experienced on Tuesday its quietest night of protests since they started, Brown said. Officials also recorded the lowest number of arrests since the weekend, with 274, Brown said.

The city also had the lowest number of looting calls and arrests, he said. There were 46 disorderly conduct arrests, he said, mostly for people throwing rocks or verbally assaulting city cops. Read more here. —Gregory Pratt

3:50 p.m.: Lining up to eat on the South Side

Around 2 p.m. Original Soul Vegetarian, a vegetarian restaurant on 75th Street on Chicago’s South Side, had a line out its doors. Nearby, Lem’s Bar-B-Q, which is strictly carryout, had plenty of cars in its parking lot.

Along 75th Street, appliance stores, restaurants and retail stores had signs in their windows in green, red and white lettering that read “Black Owned Business” and “Don’t Destroy Our Black Business.” Others had metal grates installed in the front.

The neighborhood around these South Side stalwarts were relatively quiet Wednesday afternoon. A man wearing a red ball cap waxed his car vigorously while a family unloaded groceries from their maroon van nearby.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced last week that the city would open streets for outdoor dining in six pilot corridors, but further details on when those corridors would open were elusive Wednesday afternoon. In a statement, the Chicago Department of Transportation said it and Business Affairs and Consumer Protection are working with local organizations and businesses to execute this plan.

Although 75th Street from Calumet Avenue to Indiana Avenue was designated as one of the pedestrian corridors, cars still zipped through this bustling stretch Wednesday. And Carmen Lemons, owner of Lem’s Bar-B-Q, said they plan to keep it that way.

“We can’t afford to close down 75th street because the street is too busy,” she said. “They’re going to have tables on the side and stuff but I can’t have tables in front of my store simply because we have the line. We are participating but there’s a certain limit.” —Grace Wong

3:36 p.m.: 4 Minneapolis cops are now charged in the death of George Floyd

Prosecutors charged a Minneapolis police officer accused of pressing his knee against George Floyd’s neck with second-degree murder on Wednesday, and for the first time leveled charges against three other officers at the scene, according to criminal complaints.

The upgraded charge against Derek Chauvin says the officer’s actions were a “substantial causal factor” in Floyd’s death.

“Officer Chauvin’s restraint of Mr. Floyd in this manner for a prolonged period was a substantial causal factor in Mr. Floyd losing consciousness, constituting substantial bodily harm, and Mr. Floyd’s death as well,” the criminal complaint said. Read more here. —Associated Press

3:33 p.m.: Shop owners balance reopening with safety concerns. ‘COVID-19 is still here despite everything that’s going on.’

Fleur owner Kelly Marie Thompson said she considered staying closed Wednesday to show support for people protesting systemic racism.

But the shop in Logan Square, expecting to be open, had already taken flower orders for birthdays and graduations, and she didn’t want to cancel on her customers.

“We’re trying to figure out the best way to respect everybody in the middle of a pandemic,” she said.

Still, Thompson said she isn’t ready to start letting customers back in the shop, until she has a better sense of whether customers are still paying attention to social distancing and wearing masks. She also worried protests could spark a surge in cases.

“We really want to make sure everyone is aware COVID-19 is still here despite everything that’s going on,” she said.

Thompson is taking the cautious approach even as she remains “very nervous” about the store’s finances.

Fleur did little business online before the pandemic forced nonessential stores to close. Thompson lost most of her wedding business, which she expected to account for about half of sales this year, due to ongoing restrictions on large gatherings. She also decided to expand the store in January, doubling its rent.

“I told myself early on to stay positive, do everything I can and stay healthy, and I’m still going with that,” she said. —Lauren Zumbach

3:27 p.m.: A Bronzeville clothing shop owner is unsure about reopening

Hak Tong Kim had looked forward to welcoming back customers to his Bronzeville clothing shop as the city slowly reopened this week, but on Wednesday he was still reeling from the looting that cleaned out his store Sunday night.

An immigrant from South Korea, Kim has had City Fashion for nine years and loved the store, but now he is questioning whether to reopen.

“Right now I don’t feel like,” said Kim, exhausted after barely sleeping since Sunday.

Kim, who stood in front of his store with a wrench to try to protect it Sunday night until it got too dangerous, estimates he lost $350,000. He said he doesn’t have insurance coverage because he was in the midst of researching more affordable policies.

“It’s so stupid,” he said angrily as he stood outside of his store, where inside volunteers were helping to clean up. His friends overseas who initially were sympathetic to the cause had changed their minds after seeing the vandalism.

A saving grace has been a GoFundMe fundraiser organized by his children. He was shocked when he saw it had raised $40,000 in a day. —Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz

3:23 p.m.: Ukrainian Village gears up while Wicker Park sleeps

The uber-popular dining and drinking corridors of Division Street and Milwaukee Avenue in Ukrainian Village and Wicker Park had a mixed turnout.

The stretch of Milwaukee Avenue between North Avenue and Division Street was virtually absent of sidewalk setups Wednesday afternoon. After people causing property damage hit the area hard Sunday night, part of the fallout from the killing of George Floyd, most of the businesses remained boarded up with no clear signage about reopenings.

As of about 2:15 p.m., Chicago Police Department SUVs were blocking traffic between North and Ashland avenues “until further notice,” per the officer on the scene, which was all he could disclose.

The scene was much different along Division, as restaurants including Mac’s Wood Grilled, Black Hole Bar, Janik’s Cafe and more were already seating afternoon diners. At Black Hole Bar, Brendan O’Donnell admitted to some “trepidation” before going out Wednesday.

“It was definitely a little strange,” said O’Donnell as he was having a beverage with a friend. “It was almost like we weren’t sure what to do once we got here. It’s been a strange two and a half months.”

Between Ashland and Western, restaurants as far west as the Fifty/50 Bar had patios open and ready for customers this afternoon. —Adam Lukach

3:16 p.m.: Farther north on Milwaukee Avenue, more shoppers venture out. ‘I just needed to get out of the house.’

On the northern section of Milwaukee Avenue Wednesday, there were fewer boarded-up windows and more restaurants, barbershops and stores open for business.

Earth Rider Cycling owner Sharon Kaminecki decided to risk leaving her windows unboarded since there are few other retail stores on her block.

Earth Rider remained open as an essential business during the COVID-19 shutdown and bike sales have been up during the pandemic, she said. The unrest resulting from the police killing of George Floyd didn’t seem to be keeping people away. The store was busy enough Tuesday that one customer decided to come back Wednesday, when things were quieter.

Still, Kaminecki hopes more businesses in the area open soon. Earth Rider opened last year, and sometimes people discover the shop while walking to a nearby restaurant or yoga studio, she said.

People out shopping on Milwaukee Avenue Wednesday had some lingering concerns about the pandemic, but weren’t worried about the unrest.

“I just needed to get out of the house,” said Stephanie Fenza, 56, of Logan Square, browsing at Family Thrift Store early Wednesday afternoon.

Fenza said she misses going to restaurants, something she used to do five or six times a week, but she’s still hesitant to dine out. Shopping, where she can keep her distance from others, seemed safer.

Lisa Rubio, 33, of Logan Square, picking up food for her parakeet at Jules Pet Shop, was eager for stores and parks to reopen.

“I need summer clothes for my kids and my son’s eighth grade graduation,” she said.

She keeps her distance from others when out in public but wasn’t worried about the unrest as long as she can be home by the city’s 9 p.m. curfew.

Luis Perez, owner of Fundamental Body Piercing, had mixed feelings about reopening amid the fallout from Floyd’s death, but wasn’t worried about his business’s security.

“If I didn’t need the money, I would be out showing support,” he said.

But Perez, of Humboldt Park, said he couldn’t afford to stay closed, especially when rules meant to slow the spread of COVID-19 mean he can only work with one client at a time, down from a maximum of seven.

His first three days are fully booked, he said.

“People can’t wait to take care of themselves and buy something that makes them feel good,” he said. —Lauren Zumbach

3:07 p.m.: Local chamber is working to help its members

Out of the 1,500 businesses in the area covered by the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce, more than 50 have boarded up because they had windows broken or were broken into during the unrest over the weekend, said the chamber’s executive director, Pamela Maass.

The chamber is trying to help some businesses file police reports. Some had trouble submitting them because the online system was swamped with reports, she said. Others are seeking legal assistance because they feel their landlords didn’t do enough to protect them by boarding up buildings, she said.

But others are eagerly moving ahead with reopening and requesting permits for outdoor dining.

The decision depends not only on whether the business suffered damage or is in a particularly hard-hit area, but also where employees live and whether they can safely get to and from work, she said.

“It’s really case by case,” she said.

While the damage may keep some businesses closed longer than they hoped, Maass said she was confident the unrest wouldn’t keep consumers away.

“The proof was in the activity Monday morning,” she said. “There were hundreds of people in the neighborhood helping clean up.” —Lauren Zumbach

3 p.m.: In Batavia, a call for involvement: ‘Being not racist is not enough.’

A crowd estimated to be as large as 1,500 filled the Batavia Riverwalk park at noon as protest organizers spoke and sang songs from a covered porch serving as a stage.

Among those speaking was Devin Couturier, who addressed the concept of her white privilege, telling the mostly white crowd the movement “isn’t about us, but it exists because of us, because black people have been fighting for justice for hundreds of years. … Being not racist is not enough.”

“If you’re more outraged by a Target being looted but not outraged by a target put on black people’s back in America, then you are part of the problem,” she said to a roar from the crowd.

Other speakers stressed the need to better listen to the concerns of the Black Lives Matter movement, and to get involved.

State Rep. Karina Villa, D-Batavia, called on people to get involved: “You are the boss of me. And if you’re not calling me to tell me that you’re mad, there’s something wrong.”

Among the hundreds in the park was Maya Tubic, who emigrated from Croatia in 1995 and has lived in Batavia for five years. She brought her 10-year-old son and friends, after a heated debate on Facebook with others who questioned the point and complained it could invite problems. She said it was important “just to stand up and speak with these people and break the silence, the inactivity.”

Helping lead the event was Isabella Irish, an 18-year-old recent high school graduate who implored the crowd to leave peacefully but with resolve.

“You keep saying it’s horrible that innocent blacks were killed but destroying property has to stop. Try saying it’s horrible that property is being destroyed but killing innocent black men has to stop. We must stop prioritizing the wrong parts,” she said.

As the event was ending about 2 p.m., Police Chief Daniel Eul stood at the back, with officers stationed at the far edges of the event.

Before the event began, the city posted on its website that the organizers had cooperated with the city but the city couldn’t permit it, in part because of COVID-19 restrictions, and had imposed a 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. At the end, event organizers thanked the department, with one organizer handing the chief one of many flowers distributed to the crowd as they left.

Eul told the Tribune that there had be no major problems. Although the department remained concerned because of problems in other suburbs, he was hopeful that was less likely in Batavia.

“The people who are organizing these initiatives are taking them back from the people who co-opted them for their own purposes. I don’t think the people that were causing the damage were the people trying to effect this change.” —Joe Mahr

2:51 p.m.: Cleanup begins in Bronzeville

A sea of boarded up windows greeted volunteers who descended upon the Lake Meadows Shopping Center in Bronzeville Wednesday to help clean up after vandals broke windows and looted most of the stores in the complex. Neither the Walgreens nor the UPS Store nor the nail salon nor the women’s clothing shop had been spared.

Michelee Harrell, 42, who lives nearby, had been looking forward to possibly grabbing a drink at a bar or sitting on a restaurant patio, as Chicago eased restrictions on businesses sidelined for more than two months because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead, she was picking up litter and sweeping up debris, and even stores that had previously been open are closed indefinitely.

“I think we’re getting further and further away from normal,” she said.

But the mood was not dour as people from across the city arrived to see how they could help.

Joy Williams, an artist and community organizer behind the cleanup, stood before a stack of water, paper towels and garbage bags and directed people to the areas in greatest need, suggesting some people head further south to Roseland.

“This gave everyone an opportunity to come together and take care of the community in a way that needed to happen,” said Williams, 21, who lives in South Shore. “The South Side needed to be cleaned up years ago.”

Though she was sad about the destruction of businesses, she said “it had to take something so drastic for people to come together to make change.”

Williams was heartened to see volunteers from Lakeview and elsewhere on the North Side show up ready to work, as engaging them had been difficult previously.

“They are very humbly trying to help and they feel remorseful,” she said. “This is a moment of solidarity and I’m really seeing that.” —Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz

1:58 p.m.: In Logan Square, one of Chicago’s biggest dining regions, reopening moves slowly

In northern parts of Logan Square at about lunchtime, preparations noticeably were being made at restaurants like the Harding Tavern, Longman and Eagle and Cafe con Leche.

At the corner of Sawyer and Milwaukee avenues, Old Plank was making the most of its huge windows. While many nearby restaurants and businesses have boarded windows as a preventative security measure, Esam Hani, the owner of One of a Kind Hospitality which operates Old Plank, said the fact that his restaurant’s outer walls were more than 50% windows helped it open sooner. By city regulation, restaurants with dining space within 8 feet of such windows can open for outdoor dining. Hani also oversees other restaurants on that stretch of Milwaukee Avenue, and Old Plank has been the first one to reopen.

“This (property), we were a lot closer to being ready, so this one is first,” Hani said. “But it’s not as easy as flipping a switch. We’re trying to get employees back right now, but a lot of them are making more money on unemployment right now than they did here. … We also have to teach everyone coming back new safety operations.”

Payton Orr and JD Mathys were sitting at a high-top table perched next to one of the restaurant’s massive windows. Neither of them said they felt particularly worried about COVID in the context of dining out, and they wanted to support the restaurants as long as they are open.

“I’m a little afraid we’re reopening too soon and everything will have to close again, but I also want these businesses to be able to be open as long as they can,” Orr said.

“I think people should be more concerned about the tens of thousands of people walking through the neighborhood without masks every day,” added Mathys.

That was about it for Logan Square in the early afternoon. South of Logan Boulevard, no restaurants were open, or even preparing to do so. —Adam Lukach

1:44 p.m.: Downtown Chicago restaurants mostly staying closed

Most of downtown is fairly quiet, with many restaurants still closed. A few places, like Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse (1028 N. Rush St.) and Maple & Ash (8 W. Maple St.), said they were considering opening Thursday.

Lettuce Entertain You, the city’s largest restaurant group, held off on opening Wednesday and will release a list of planned opening dates Thursday.

But David Flom, the managing partner at Chicago Cut Steakhouse (300 N. LaSalle Drive), says the restaurant has been extremely busy since opening this morning.

“We already have a 100 people here on the patio,” says Flom. “We also have a lot of reservations scheduled for tonight.”

He says they’ve been preparing for days to make sure the restaurant met all the guidelines from the city and state, including spacing the tables 6 feet apart, putting up plexiglass where it’s needed and having set walking paths for customers.

“The entire staff is also wearing masks,” adds Flom.

Wishbone (161 N. Jefferson St.) was open at lunchtime with three people sitting on the shaded outdoor patio. General manager Saskia Rivera said they had been getting calls about reservations.

When it comes to social distancing, Rivera’s goal is to take care of staff and customers “in the restaurant while keeping an eye on customers waiting outside for a table.”

By mid-afternoon the restaurant had had just a total of seven dine-in customers. —Nick Kindelsperger and Kasondra Van Treeck

1:39 p.m.: Minnesota AG to upgrade murder charge against officer in George Floyd’s death, charge 3 other officers with abetting, reports say

Prosecutors are charging a Minneapolis police officer accused of pressing his knee against George Floyd’s neck with second-degree murder, and for the first time will level charges against three other officers at the scene, The Star Tribune reported Wednesday.

Widely seen bystander video showing Floyd’s May 25 death has sparked sometimes violent protests nationwide and around the world. The officer, Derek Chauvin, was fired May 26 and initially charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The three other officers involved were also fired but were not immediately charged.

The Star Tribune reported reported that Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison would be upgrading the charge against Chauvin while also charging Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao with aiding and abetting second-degree murder. The newspaper cited multiple law enforcement sources familiar with the case that spoke on condition of anonymity.

Earl Gray, who represents Lane, told The Associated Press that the report “is accurate” before ending the call. Read more here. —Associated Press

1:15 p.m.: Marchers call for united between African American and Lantinx communities

About hundred people gathered in Little Village Wednesday morning and marched down 26th Street, calling for unity between the African American and Latinx communities.

“We will not allow them to divide us,” said Laura Ramirez of El Foro Del Pueblo, one of the protest organizers. “We are here to say enough is enough.”

This comes after days of heighten racial tension following reports that reputed Latino gang members were targeting black people in Little Village and Cicero. Social media posts advised black residents to stay away from “Mexican neighborhoods.”

At Wednesday’s march Jai Simpson of GoodKids MadCity called for peace and mutual respect.

“This is a new age, the age where black and brown are one because of our similarities.” Simpson said. “Both black and brown communities on the South and West sides of Chicago are affected by environmental racism, racial discrimination and systematic discrimination”

The group marched from the arch in Little Village to Pulaski Avenue and back, working to maintain six feet social distancing.

Organizers reminded marchers that Little Village has some of the highest rates of COVID-19 in the city. On returning to the arch near Albany Avenue, the marchers knelt in silence. —Sophie Sherry

12:47 p.m.: North Side customers show up for breakfast at restaurant patios

While some restaurants geared up to open for dinner service later in the day on Wednesday, many breakfast joints said they wouldn’t open until later this week or next week, citing confusion around the rules and regulations that would allow them to seat diners outside. Lost Larson, a bakery in Andersonville, said it hopes to open its back patio for brunch, but will be reservation-only. They have yet to set an opening date, however. But other restaurants were open for breakfast and saw a strong turnout.

Although they have a small patio of only three tables total, one of the owners of Savanna Restaurant, an American Ecuadorian breakfast and lunch restaurant in North Center, said he’s happy to finally open Wednesday. By mid-morning, they had already seen two tables of longtime customers, who have continued their patronage during the shelter-in-place order.

“It’s been really hard for all this time,” said Luis Calderon, one of the owners. “I’m happy for everything and what’s coming for now. We’re so excited. It’s going to be hard but we’re going to see what we can do.”

Cafe Selmarie, a bakery and restaurant in Lincoln Square, said they’re not in a rush to re-open. They plan to take it slow and see what happens, citing COVID-19 and the protests.

By mid-morning, the patio at Tweet in Uptown was still full of regulars who had started arrving when the cafe opened at 9:30 a.m. While no one is sitting and doing their crosswords like they would have before, owner Michelle Fire said she’s happy that everyone who has come by so far has worn masks and practiced responsible socialization.

“I think people are ready to come out, period,” Fire said. “I think they would sit in the rain today, to be truthful.”

She said the last few months have been extremely difficult for her and her business, and has felt financially and emotionally burdened.

“I felt like weeping all the time,” she said. “I still do, but this is a ray of hope, a ray of hope in the fact that everybody showed up in the last hour and a half and they’re being safe. No one is being silly.”

She said many restaurants probably feel wary about opening right away because of the protests surrounding the killing of George Floyd by a police office on top of the worldwide pandemic that still rages on. But she wanted to re-open Tweet, which she describes as a “down-home neighborhood comfort place” for this exact reason — to provide a safe place for the community and to bring in income for her employees, some of whom have families to support.

“I’m marching forward,” she said. “That’s all we can do, is march forward.” —Grace Wong

12:20 p.m.: For some Chicago businesses, the hits keep coming. ‘I’m just waiting for an earthquake.’

On Wednesday morning, Melissa Kmieciak, manager of Ragstock, unlocked the boarded-up door where someone had written “empty” in hopes of discouraging looters.

The store had been vandalized, though she declined to say how extensive the damage was. Ragstock had been ready to reopen after being closed during the COVID-19 shutdown, but will now likely wait until the unrest has calmed.

The wait was disappointing, but holding off for a few more days didn’t feel that hard, she said.

“We’ve already been closed so long,” she said.

Milwaukee Furniture, on the other hand, was open even though its window had been broken and remained boarded up. Security cameras caught one person trying to steal a computer and TV, but a police officer stopped the person, who left them behind, said owner Mustafa Quad.

Quad has kept the store open for appointments and to fill online orders, and he said he felt comfortable coming back.

Business has been down about 85% during the pandemic, Quad said. A couple weeks ago, the store basement was damaged by flooding. Then came damage over the weekend from widespread unrest over the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.

“There’s just so much chaos. … I’m just waiting for an earthquake,” he said.

Michael White, 26, was walking down Milwaukee Avenue with his father Wednesday morning after grabbing coffees at Wormhole.

The street looked much cleaner than it had over the weekend, but few shops appeared open for business.

White was still wary of going back to the gym because of the risk of exposure to COVID-19, but he had been looking forward to returning to restaurants this week. Now he’s less certain, not because of the virus but the risk of getting caught up in the unrest.

“I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, but all it takes is a handful of people to start something,” he said. —Lauren Zumbach

11:41 a.m.: As Chicago enters next phase of reopening, many stores remain boarded up

Many businesses along Milwaukee Avenue in Wicker Park remained boarded up Wednesday morning.

At Reckless Records, which had a screen blocking the view inside its store, pieces of paper taped to the window spelled out “Black lives matter every day.”

Reckless Records had hoped to open its Wicker Park and Lakeview stores Wednesday after being closed during the COVID-19 shutdown, but the unrest that hit Wicker Park Sunday put those plans on hold.

Reckless Records wasn’t damaged, but employees were still getting stores ready to operate safely amid lingering concerns about COVID-19. The stores need plastic sneeze guards, and nearby retailers like Home Depot and Lowe’s had closed after looting in the area. Other stores are sold out of sneeze guards or required a lengthy wait, said Melissa Grubbs, manager of the Wicker Park store.

Reopening Reckless Records’ smaller Loop store will take more time. But the others will open as soon as possible, she said.

“We need to be open in order to survive,” she said.

A couple blocks away from Reckless Records’ Wicker Park location, salon Fringe also remained closed, with boards over its windows, even though owner Dawn Bublitz had already booked a full slate of clients in anticipation of opening Wednesday. She decided to wait, even though the salon made it through Sunday’s unrest undamaged.

“It just does not feel safe,” she said. “My staff doesn’t feel comfortable, and I don’t feel comfortable opening until the violence has stopped and the looting has stopped.”

Early Sunday evening, friends called and warned her she should board up the salon. She grabbed a few neighbors and within an hour removed everything they could, from products to computers. She isn’t sure when she’ll be ready to reopen, but hasn’t canceled appointments booked for this weekend yet.

“I’m just telling everyone we don’t know,” she said. Last week, people couldn’t wait to get their hair done after going months without a trip to the salon. Now, “it just seems like hair is the least important thing in our lives right now,” she said. —Lauren Zumbach

10:55 a.m.: CBOE pushes back trading floor reopening after widespread disruption in the Loop

The CBOE, one of the world’s largest options exchanges, is pushing back its planned Chicago trading floor reopening one week amid downtown disruption.

The trading floor, which has been closed since mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic, is now scheduled to reopen June 15 as the city deals with fallout over the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.

“The decision to postpone the reopening is in light of closures across the city of Chicago and limited access to the area surrounding the CBOE building,” the exchange said in a news release Wednesday. “CBOE is continuing to monitor the situation closely.”

A CBOE spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment.The CBOE trading floor was previously set to reopen Monday, with a number of changes in place to minimize the risk of transmitting COVID-19. Traders will be screened for fever at entrances, required to wear masks and observe six feet of social distancing — a far cry from the boisterous, old school trading pits that built the exchange. Read more here. —Robert Channick

10:17 a.m.: Peaceful demonstrations held in Elmhurst, Bolingbrook, Park Ridge and other suburbs

Despite worries of unrest that prompted businesses to board up their windows and residents to fear the worst, peaceful demonstrations against racial injustice took place in Elmhurst, Bolingbrook, Park Ridge and other suburbs Tuesday night, with residents gathering at shopping districts and lining busy streets to convey their message.

“I’m sick of the injustice,” said Walter, a 20-year-old Elmhurst resident who declined to give his last name. “I have spent my whole life viewing this world as a place where bad stuff happens, and I honestly believe this is not necessary. We have leaders in power that do not align with the vast interests of the majority of the American people, and we’ve had enough.”

Following episodes of unrest in Naperville and Aurora, Elmhurst officials issued an alert about the protest that prompted businesses on the York Street shopping center to close, and many to cover their doors and windows with plywood. Social media crackled with worries about looting and riots.

Roughly 200 people gathered at the corner of York and North Avenue at mid-afternoon, chanting and waving signs as passing vehicles honked in support. Nothing belligerent took place, and shortly after 8 p.m., the last few protesters left and police officers who had been watching over the demonstration dispersed.

Another demonstration is set to happen in the city on Tuesday, June 9.

In Bolingbrook, after a large, peaceful protest behind the village hall, about two dozen protesters headed to the Promenade shopping center. The open-air mall was barricaded by heavy-duty trucks and surrounded by police squad cars, so demonstrators held signs and chanted “No Justice! No Peace!” on sidewalks and parkways near Boughton Road and Janes Avenue.

Downers Grove braced itself for a large and possibly turbulent demonstration, as it issued a state of emergency and imposed a village-wide 8 p.m. curfew. But only about 50 to 75 people showed up, police spokesman Bill Budds said, and they were peaceful and dispersed about 7 p.m.

Minutes before curfew, there were no demonstrators in the boarded-up downtown but plenty of families taking pictures and riding bicycles through the closed streets. A couple of buskers sang “Black Water,” while a small group of men in T-shirts and jeans walked along the sidewalks vowing to stop anyone who tried to loot local businesses. —John Keilman and Stacy St. Clair

8:23 a.m.: After days of unrest in fallout from George Floyd killing, nation’s streets mostly peaceful

Protests were largely peaceful and the nation’s streets were calmer than they have been in days since the killing of George Floyd set off sometimes violent demonstrations over police brutality and injustice against African Americans.

Earlier curfews and efforts by protesters to contain the lawlessness prevented more widespread damage to businesses in New York and other cities overnight.

By Wednesday morning, arrests had grown to more than 9,000 nationwide since the vandalism, arson and shootings erupted around the U.S. in reaction to Floyd’s death May 25 in Minneapolis. At least 12 deaths have been reported, though the circumstances in many cases are still being sorted out.

In Washington, where authorities ordered people off streets before sundown, thousands of demonstrators massed a block from the White House on Tuesday evening, following a crackdown a day earlier when officers drove peaceful protesters away from Lafayette Park to clear the way for President Donald Trump to do a photo op with a Bible at a church. A black chain-link fence was put up to block access to the park.

“Last night pushed me way over the edge,” said Jessica DeMaio, 40, of Washington, who attended a Floyd protest for the first time. “Being here is better than being at home feeling helpless.” Read more here. —Associated Press

5:50 a.m.: How much of Chicago actually opens back up will vary by neighborhood.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot is pushing ahead with plans to allow businesses to start gradually reopening Wednesday, though how much of Chicago actually opens back up will vary by neighborhood.

Many store owners are dealing with empty shelves and shattered windows amid the aftermath of looting. A 9 p.m. curfew remains in effect. Demonstrators continue to march. And the coronavirus threat still looms. But bridges will be lowered, and many downtown streets will reopen.

Lightfoot’s announcement caught some by surprise, since over the weekend she had suggested civic unrest following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police could delay the reopening. The mayor said she made the call after consulting with numerous local business owners, chambers of commerce and aldermen. Lightfoot said she raised the question frequently as she toured damaged businesses in several neighborhoods on Monday. Read more here. —Gregory Pratt, Bill Ruthhart, Grace Wong, Morgan Greene and Jessica Villagomez

5:45 a.m.: Cicero tells residents to stay indoors and let police do their job after looters clash with officers as well as vigilantes armed with clubs and guns

Cicero officials urged people Tuesday to stay indoors and let the police to do their job after two men were shot dead, stores were vandalized and 60 people were arrested as looters clashed with officers and residents armed with clubs and guns.

Three men have been arrested for a fatal shooting just off Cermak Road in the western suburb, and the investigation continues into the second homicide. Charges have not been filed in either case.

Town President Larry Dominick said he welcomed peaceful protesters to Cicero but added that law enforcement would “stand up” to those bent on criminal acts. Read more here. —Gary Marx

5:40 a.m.: ‘This is a step back.’ Latino activists speak out about racial tension with black Chicagoans on Southwest Side amid George Floyd fallout

The organizing efforts of some Latino groups to peacefully protest and help protect their communities from unrest were quickly overshadowed by racial tensions after reports that alleged Latino gang members were profiling and targeting black people in Little Village earlier this week.

“The system is corrupt and they want to see minorities fight against one another to weaken us,” said community activist Montserrat Ayala, who helped organize a peaceful protest in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement over the weekend. “We need to work together to dismantle racism.” Read more here. —Laura Rodríguez Presa

5:35 a.m.: Feds charge man with setting fire to Chicago police vehicle, 3 others face gun charges in connection to weekend looting in Chicago

A South Side man was hit with federal arson charges Tuesday alleging he set fire to a Chicago police SUV in the Loop while wearing a “Joker” clown mask during the weekend unrest.

Timothy O’Donnell, 31, was seen on video taken by a bystander on Saturday approaching the police vehicle parked in the 200 block of North State Street and placing a lit object into the car’s gas tank, according to an eight-page criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court.

After the squad car burst into flames, O’Donnell was captured in a photograph provided by a different witness posing in front of the blaze. Though his face was obscured by the grinning mask, O’Donnell’s distinctive neck tattoo reading “PRETTY” could clearly be seen in the photo, according to the complaint. Read more here. —Jason Meisner