Floyd

Tech CEOs decry racial injustice amid George Floyd protests

By Tommy Flemm 2 years ago

Americans across at least 75 different cities took to the streets to protest the death of Black men and women at the hands of police.

Coupled with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has disproportionately affected Black communities, the killings of Breonna Taylor on May 13 and George Floyd on May 25 have sparked six consecutive days of protests. What started as peaceful demonstrations descended into violent altercations, fires and looting over the weekend as police officers deployed tear gas and rubber bullets. Twenty-six governors called in the National Guard and at least 45 million Americans were under curfew Sunday evening.

Amid the chaos, companies and their executives have been pressured to stand up and speak out against systemic racism and police brutality, and show allyship for their Black colleagues. Salesforce, Twitter and Apple were among the first to issue public statements. Overall, chief executives struck a supportive tone,

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Nike is setting the tone for sports brands in its response to the George Floyd protests

By Tommy Flemm 2 years ago

After five days of social justice protests in cities across America following the death of George Floyd at the hand of Minneapolis police, companies are feeling pressure to speak out in some way, especially since silence during this time is seen by many consumers as complicity.

Nike was the first to speak out among big sports apparel brands, which is in keeping with the brand’s advocacy for social justice reform over the past few years.

On Friday night at 6:50pm EST, Nike posted to its social accounts a 60-second video, with only white text on a black background, that read: For once, don’t do it. Don’t pretend there’s not a problem in America. Don’t turn your back on racism. Don’t accept innocent lives being taken from us. Don’t make any more excuses. Don’t sit back and be silent. Don’t think you can’t be part of the change. Let’s all be

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Walmart stores suffer damage from George Floyd protests and looting — several hundred forced to close early

By Tommy Flemm 2 years ago

Walmart (WMT) joins a growing list of retailers whose stores have been vandalized and looted amidst the George Floyd protests sweeping the U.S.

A Walmart spokesperson told Yahoo Finance that 12 stores across the country have sustained damage from the violence (seen below, as an example). Several “hotspots” for the store damage include Minnesota and Dallas, says the spokesperson. Walmart operates more than 5,300 stores in the U.S., including 81 in Minnesota where the protests have been the most intense following the death of Floyd at the hands of a police officer.

The conditions on the ground at some stores led Walmart to close more than 200 stores about one hour early on Sunday, the spokesperson added, so employees could return home safely. The majority of these stores are slated to reopen on Monday, provided it’s safe to do so.

Walmart rival Target has also been hit hard by protests

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George Floyd protests, looting lead Target to temporarily close and adjust hours at 200 stores

By Tommy Flemm 2 years ago

Target (TGT) has taken action to protect its workers and merchandise as civil unrest related to the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police sweeps across the country, which has in some instances led to looting of retail stores.

The discount retailer closed or adjusted hours at 200 stores over the weekend, a spokesperson told Yahoo Finance via email. Target operates 1,900 stores across the U.S, including 73 in Minnesota.

Target’s decision comes in light of its own stores in its hometown of Minneapolis being targeted by protesters for looting or vandalism. In one video that has gone viral on Twitter, a female in a wheelchair (seen below) was attacked by protestors looting a Minneapolis Target store. Other videos of Target locations being looted also continued to pop up on Twitter during the weekend.

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