After several riots broke out in the U.S. following the killing of George Floyd, several retailers are looking to rebuild — including local camera stores.
In Chicago, Central Camera — a staple in the Loop for 121 years — was attacked and heavily damaged. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, owner Don Flesch has vowed to rebuild “and make it just as good or better” after windows were smashed and goods were stolen.
Central Camera started a GoFundMe campaign with a $250,000 goal to help in the rebuild. On the page, the company states that it “looks like 100% destruction.”
Our own Lauri Novak, based in the Chicago area, shared these photos of Central Camera before the riots:
Roberts Camera in Indianapolis suffered broken windows due to riots in that area. Luckily, the company suffered no major damage and were not victims to looting or stolen property. They said this in a Facebook post:
“We were very fortunate to only lose a couple of windows to last night’s riots … Our hearts go out to all of the businesses, big and small, that were impacted by violence and vandalism. And our hearts go out to all of the peaceful protesters that must be heard. The Indianapolis that we know and love will come together as a community to support those that need it most. I implore you, please visit a local business sometime soon! So many of us were just unlocking our doors after being closed for months due to COVID19, only to have to board them up again. Support your neighbor and we will get through this too.”
Our hearts go out to local camera stores who have been damaged or impacted by these riots. If you know of any other stores that were impacted, please comment below.
Lead photo by Bryan Esler
