PORTLAND, Ore. — Social media posts telling people to riot at the Lloyd Center on Saturday night have minority-owned businesses and organization in the Lloyd Center concerned.
The Portland-chapter of the NAACP has its officers in the Lloyd center. President Rev. E.D. Mondaine took to Facebook to ask protestors not to damage their offices, while saying he understood their pain and anger.
"Our offices are housed in the Lloyd Center, listen I understand racism is real, it's systemic and its been institutionalized and it’s killed our people for far too long. Being upset about the murder of George Floyd is understandable but tearing up, destroying and looting isn’t the answer. I understand there is a group headed to the Lloyd center tonight. Destroying our offices means to destroy our opportunity to destroy racism. I encourage you, please, go home," Mondaine said in the video.
The Lloyd Center said in a statement:
We support those calling for justice for George Floyd and all victims of oppression in this country. We ask that those planning to gather near Lloyd Center remember that we are home to the Portland Chapter of the NAACP and numerous minority-owned and independent retailers.
We support the right of free expression and those working to end discrimination. We simply ask that those gathering refrain from damaging our building or engaging in other actions that would counterproductively hurt the social justice advocates and minority retailers who call Lloyd Center home.
As the looting and vandalism worked its way through downtown Portland on Friday night, many mom and pop business stood untouched while large corporations like banks, Starbucks and Target were looted and destroyed.
