“However you move through today, may it be with intention, compassion and care for one another!” Four Finger Distillery in Indianapolis said on Instagram.
Watch as people protest ICE in Boyle Heights, support strike
The demonstration comes in the aftermath of the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minnesota.
Small businesses across the United States are closing their doors and taking to social media to show support for the nationwide shutdown on Jan. 30, part of a widespread anti-ICE protest following the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota this month.
While many businesses can close shop in solidarity, others, especially those impacted by the dayslong snowstorm that swept through much of the country from Jan. 23 to Jan. 26, cannot afford to.
Brian Spony, general manager of Four Finger Distillery in Indianapolis, told USA TODAY that though the business decided to stay open on Jan. 30, the team wanted to show their support on social media.
“We will be here today, supporting our community in the way we can, and if you’re out supporting small and local, our doors are open and we’re deeply grateful,” a Jan. 30 Instagram post shared by the distillery states. “It’s been a tough week, and every visit helps keep our team and our doors open. However you move through today, may it be with intention, compassion and care for one another!”
Impacted by the recent snowstorm, Spony said the distillery closed early last Saturday, Jan. 24, was closed Sunday, Jan. 25, and closed early on Tuesday, Jan. 27, because of the weather, one of the reasons why closing on Jan. 30 didn’t feel attainable.
“We’re not really liking what the current administration has been doing, obviously, and I think it was just a way of showing support,” Spony said about the Instagram post. “We’ve always been here for the community and will continue to be that way as well.”
As anti-ICE protests continue across the country, here’s a look at how local businesses are participating in the national shutdown.
Without closing doors, small businesses share solidarity on social media
People’s Brewing Company & Taproom in Lafayette, Indiana, took to Instagram to let customers know the brewery would be open on Jan. 30.
“We at People’s Brewing Co. understand and respect the need for the National Strike today. Unfortunately, it is very hard on small businesses to participate,” the brewery wrote in its Instagram post on Jan. 30. “Our staff relies on their employment with us to provide for themselves and family.”
Okey Dokey Bar and Grill in Omaha, Nebraska, took to Facebook on Jan. 29 to share that it “fully stands behind the cause” of the national shutdown.
“At the same time, due to financial constraints, we are not able to close our doors tomorrow,” the bar said in its post. “This was not an easy decision, and it does not reflect our values or our support, only the reality many small businesses face.”
Other businesses close, take partial day off
Other businesses, though, have been able to close for the shutdown, some offering resources to their local communities.
Sawyer’s Market, a restaurant and wine bar in Providence, Rhode Island, said in an Instagram post that it would be closed on Jan. 30; however, it’ll remain open for a free community lunch for those in the area.
Blip Roasters, a coffee shop in Kansas City, Missouri, informed customers in an Instagram post on Jan. 29 that it could afford to close early in support of the national shutdown.
Barge Canal Market, an antique mall in Burlington, Vermont, told customers in a Facebook post on Jan. 29 that the decision to close in solidarity with the shutdown wasn’t easy.
“This is not a decision we made lightly as being a small business in January is notoriously hard, but our hope is that we can all take this as a day to act, reflect, think and donate what and where we can,” the retailer said in its post.
Is the national shutdown the same as the government shutdown?
No, the anti-ICE national shutdown is not the same as the looming government shutdown. The former is a nationwide anti-ICE protest, while the latter involves the United States inching closer to a deadline for approval on a new legislative budget. The government shutdown could go into effect as early as 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31. It would be President Donald Trump’s second government shutdown since the start of his second presidential term.
On Thursday, Jan. 29, Trump and the Senate Democrats agreed to a compromise government spending bill that reflects Democrats’ concerns about immigration enforcement. However, a partial shutdown could occur if Congress does not pass the spending legislation on Friday, Jan. 30.
Even if the bill is passed in the Senate, it will have to go back to the House of Representatives, which has been in recess and likely won’t vote on the legislation until Monday, Feb. 2, House Speaker Mike Johnson told USA TODAY.
If a government shutdown were to occur, the White House Office of Management and Budget expects it to be short. Mandatory spending that is not subject to annual appropriations, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), national parks and food inspection services, would continue as normal, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
Contributing: Zac Anderson, Zachary Schermele, Kathryn Palmer, Francesca Chambers and Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
