Hundreds are cleaning up damage in Madison following peaceful protests that later turned violent.
75 stores along State Street were damaged or broken into on Saturday, an additional 20 on Sunday.
“More than 70 percent of these businesses downtown on State Street are locally-owned,” Tiffany Kenney, executive director of Madison’s Central Business District, tells WTMJ. “Sometimes there’s a misconception because there are a few big dogs. But we have so many small, local business owners. Many of them are women owners or minority business owners.”
A fundraiser for businesses damaged over the weekend has already raised more than $100,000.
“They’re really going to need the help because they are just coming back online, they may not have insurance that would cover them in a scenario like this, and they are the core of what makes State Street and Madison a really unique, special place to visit.”
For much more from Kenney on Wisconsin’s Morning News, click in the player above.