Plaza business, parks support protests, clean up damage

Plaza business, parks support protests, clean up damage

Businesses and parks in the Plaza and Midtown areas were hit with vandalism in the unrest following peaceful protests this weekend, but parks leaders and business owners say they support the protesters' cause.

AFTER THE PROTESTS - ITWAS TIME TO CLEAN UPTHE DAMAGE LEFT BEHIND.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER JORDAN BETTSEXPLAINS HOW THOSECLEANING UP THE MESS -ARE SUPPORTING THECAUSE OF PROTESTERS.nats from clean upCREWS SPENT ALL DAYMONDAY CLEANING UPMILL CREEK PARK.Terry Rynard, Director of KCMOParks and Recreati"The main issue was graffiti,a lot of graffiti."IT WILL COST THE PARKSAND RECREATIONDEPARTMENT THREE TOFOUR THOUSAND DOLLARSTO POWER WASH OFF THEGRAFFITI AND CLEAN UPPARK GROUNDSTHE DEPARTMENT'SDIRECTOR SAYS WHILESHE'S SAD TO SEE THINGSVANDALIZED, SHESUPPORTS THEPROTESTORS.Terry Rynard, Director of KCMOParks and Recreation"I don't want to soundirresponsible but quitehonestly...the physicalstructors were way down inmy mind compared toeverything else going on."BUT, RYNARD STILL WANTSPEOPLE TO BE ABLE TOSHOW THEIR EMOTION INART BUT DON'T DAMAGETHE PARK.Terry Rynard, Director of KCMOParks and Recreation"We are putting up theexpression walls.

These willall be painted white, we wantpeople to come and write onthem, paint on them, draw onthem.

Express their pain thatway."DOWN THE STREET,THOSE SAME WOODENBOARDS ARE BEING USEDTO KEEP BUSINESSESSAFE.Tyler Enders, Co-owner of MadeinKC"It's anxiety inducing, requiresa nimbleness and ongoingconversations."SMALL BUSINESSES WEREGETTING BACK TO NORMALTHIS WEEKEND BUTNOW...THEIR DOORS ARESHUT AGAIN.Tyler Enders, Co-owner of MadeinKC"We have been reportingabout 30 percent traffic ofwhat we had seen last year atthis time.

We were seeingpeople come back out andabout, getting morecomfortable."OWNERS OF MADE IN K-CARE TAKING A DIFFERENTAPPROACH TO BOARDINGUP THEIR STORETHEY HAVE SIGNS UPSUPPORTING THEPROTEST AND THEMESSAGE.Tyler Enders, Co-owner of MadeinKC"We wouldn't be having thiconversation today which isreally a conversation aboutracism in America and racismin Kansas City, if people didn'tbreak windows on Saturday."ENDERS SAYS WHILE HISBUSINESS IS LOSINGMONEY....HE STANDS WITHPROTESTORS.Tyler Enders, Co-owner of MadeinKC"We want this message to beheard very, very loudly that wehave a really big problem