BOSTON (WHDH) - Business owners impacted by the coronavirus pandemic voiced their frustrations after looters smashed their storefront windows and stole items from inside following peaceful protests on Sunday.
RELATED: Store fronts smashed, items stolen after peaceful protests turn violent in Boston
Protesters could be seen clashing with police throughout the city after thousands of mostly mask-wearing demonstrators marched peacefully through Boston in response to the death of George Floyd.
RELATED: Protests peaceful in Boston by day turn violent at nightfall
Glass and various items littered the streets as stores were ransacked.
Neil Patel checked on his store, City Smoke Shop, and found that it had fallen victim to looters.
“I’m protecting my business and they robbed us after being closed for three months,” he said. “This is not anything you should be doing. This is not right. What are you trying to protect or cause? This is an excuse, nothing else; you’re making an excuse. We got robbed. We’re small business. We can’t even pay rent.”
Patel added that he pays $50,000 a month for rent on Newbury Street.
Crews could be seen cleaning the damage on Monday morning.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)