Boston Quiet Following Chauvin Conviction After Businesses Prepare For Protests
BOSTON (CBS) - On Tuesday afternoon, the end of Newbury Street facing the Boston Public Garden was vibrating with the sounds of power drills, as work crews installed wooden panels to protect designer stores' glass windows.
The same stores were destroyed and robbed following riots back in May 2020 after the murder of George Floyd. After his killer's conviction Tuesday, the storefronts sat still among a quiet Boston.
"I really believe that a guilty verdict in this case takes some of the tension and the anxiety out of what's happening," WBZ Security Analyst Ed Davis said. "People have a reason to trust the system, a reason to believe that justice will prevail, and that's a very positive development here."
Boston and State Police could be seen lining up with tactical gear all throughout Boston's Back Day on Tuesday. By 8 p.m., they outnumbered the amount of people in the streets, as no major celebrations or protests convened.
In a joint press statement with Boston Mayor Kim Janey, Suffolk County DA Rachael Rollins warned not only potential protesters -- but law enforcement -- to be safe.
"My brothers and sisters in law enforcement who may be called out because of demonstrations," she said. "I ask that you try and understand the immense pain and trauma, frustration, and anguish all of us are feeling."
There is a protest planned in Boston's Nubian Square on Wednesday at 5.
Gov. Charlie Baker made 1,000 National Guard members available should local officials need help with security.