Demonstrators broke the windows of an Amazon Go store in downtown Seattle during a protest Friday evening over the death of George Floyd, as protests and outrage over his death in police custody in Minneapolis spread across the country.
Police blocked off protesters just outside the store at the Madison Centre building at Marion Street and 5th Avenue in Seattle. Other businesses also had windows shattered during the rally, the Seattle Times reported.
The Amazon Go store, which features the company’s checkout-less grocery technology, opened in 2018. It is one of five in Seattle. The stores remain open, though Amazon temporarily closed all other Amazon Go locations in Chicago, New York City, and San Francisco.
Shattered window at Amazon go store. Protesters moving through downtown Seattle. pic.twitter.com/RdGBsebjWG
— Chris Ingalls (@CJIngalls) May 30, 2020
This is what it looked like after it got ugly. Look at the guy in the middle, hands up, holding the line and just taking pepper spray to the face. #seattleprotest pic.twitter.com/K19UVuW10M
— Jon Gales (@jonknee) May 30, 2020
Protesters gathered in cities across the U.S. in response to the death of Floyd, who died after being held down by a white Minneapolis officer during an arrest. The officer was charged with third-degree murder in the case on Friday. Leaders in Seattle and in the tech community are among those speaking out on the incident.
The family of George Floyd is suffering deeply. The officers that encountered George Floyd disregarded his humanity, which ultimately lead to his death.
— Mayor Jenny Durkan (@MayorJenny) May 30, 2020
I am so so sad about #GeorgeFloyd and feel for his family. I am also angry. Everyone in America deserves to live without fear. We need to treat people equally, fairly, respectfully— especially blacks who often get treated so poorly.
— Steve Ballmer (@Steven_Ballmer) May 30, 2020
Racism is wrong. We know this without anybody telling us. No one is born a racist. You learn to become one. And if you can learn to be one, you can also learn not to. And the first step is to speak up against it. Being silent makes you complicit. #BlackLivesMatter
— Eugenio Pace (@eugenio_pace) May 30, 2020
