Trying to recreate Ferguson.
A weekend of protests following the not-guilty verdict in the murder trial of former police Officer Jason Stockley has delivered what some activists promised: disruption to the metropolitan area’s economy.
For people who counted on big concerts downtown or small-business owners who banked on a weekend of sales, the loss is fairly easy to quantify. A smaller paycheck. An unexpected repair bill. Fewer customers.
The longer-term effect on the region — one that was convulsed just three years ago by Ferguson protests — is unclear.
Does the unrest make the seemingly quixotic bid to land Amazon’s second headquarters seem ridiculous now? Will the Washington Avenue entertainment district, which has had to wrestle with the perception that crime is on the rise, face an even bigger challenge in the wake of the vandalism that took place Sunday night? Will out-of-town parents who send their kids to Washington University think twice about housing near the Delmar Loop?
For some hotels, restaurants and retailers, paying for plywood and replacement windows is only the beginning. Some businesses have trimmed operating hours before and after protests, resulting in lost revenue and fewer hours for employees.
Three Kings Pub, a Delmar Loop restaurant that had its front window smashed by vandals late Saturday night while diners were inside, warned on Twitter it would close its University City location at 5 p.m. Monday — six hours early — due to another planned protest in the Delmar Loop.