SEATTLE — Seattle restaurants are banding together to show solidarity with businesses in Minneapolis, raising funds to support their counterparts in Minnesota amid recent violence and unrest.
Organizers say the goal is to help Minneapolis restaurants during Friday’s planned “Economic Blackout Day,” a protest against ICE, allowing them to close their doors or cover other expenses.
SEE ALSO | Anti-ICE protests continue in Seattle after shooting deaths of 2 Americans in Minnesota
Local organizers at Spice Waala say they felt compelled to act after seeing weeks of protests, violence, and chaos in Minneapolis.
“I think we’re all seeing everything that’s going on in Minneapolis and how that’s their life right now, and as first-generation immigrants, we know the pain of feeling that we are unwanted or that we are at risk any particular day,” Uttam Mukherjee of Spice Waala told KOMO News.
“We’re going to take those proceeds and buy gift cards at restaurants in Minneapolis that we will never redeem, so they can take that money and give it back to their employees, give it to themselves for rent, etc.,” Mukherjee added.
More than 30 Seattle businesses have volunteered to donate part of their proceeds to support Minneapolis restaurants. Community leaders and protestors in Minneapolis are calling for an “Economic Blackout Day” on Friday, urging no work, school, or shopping in protest of the recent violence and immigration enforcement actions in the city.
“The reality is that there are reported sightings of ICE in Seattle every day now, so I don’t think we’re too far away from it being the next place that they are very prevalent,” Mukherjee said. “I think we just need to try to be as loud as possible right now so we can prevent what’s coming.”
SEE ALSO | ‘Un-American’: Gov. Ferguson preparing for ‘worst-case’ ICE scenario in Washington
Sarah Courtney, co-owner of Atoma in Wallingford and a Minneapolis native, is among the participating business owners.
“It’s heartbreaking and devastating to see a city going through what they’re going through right now, but also I think there’s a lot of beautiful things happening in Minneapolis,” Courtney said. “There’s an incredible neighborhood network that’s built organically by the people to help support their neighbors.”
Organizers plan to donate to businesses along the street where the recent fatal shooting of Alex Pretti happened, as well as other Minneapolis businesses within the immigrant community.
Local businesses plan to begin donating part of their proceeds Thursday, with some planning to continue through the weekend.
“We all know just how challenging it is to operate an independent restaurant and just how important it is for us to support a city that is struggling,” Courtney added.
For a full list of the participating restaurants, click here.
