GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Small business owners in downtown Greensboro are picking up the pieces after Saturday nights' George Floyd protest went from peaceful to violent.

What You Need To Know

  • We saw the most damage centered around South Elm Street

  • About 19 businesses were affected by the violence

  • Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughn told us, the city is looking into ways to strengthen its position for future protests

Windows were shattered, stores we broken into and in some cases, looted. Daniel Weatherington, owner of Gate City Candy Co., had his storefront vandalized.

“We didn’t do anything. We are here for the community, not for the community to tear us apart. We’ve already been kicked, why make it worse?" Weatherington says. “It’s extremely frustrating, you know We just dealt with all the COVID stuff and the loss of money from two months of that and now the first weekend we’ve got where things are back opening we are here replacing windows and boarding up."

We saw the most damage centered around South Elm Street. About 19 businesses were affected by the violence. Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughn told us, the city is looking into ways to strengthen its position for future protests.

"We certainly hope that if protestors come back that they wouldn’t do this type of thing but given what’s going on country wide, we can’t guarantee anything," Vaughn adds.

Business owners recovering and boarding up their stores, hoping protestors will be mindful next time.  

“Protest peacefully. That will get a lot more accomplished than going through and tearing up downtown," Weatherington says.