Video: Downtown Businesses Count The Cost Of Recent Marches

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – On a typical Saturday , there’s a stream of customers at Fairpark Grill.

“A hundred, or 150 probably,” said owner Bernard Bean.

But during what would have been the lunch rush on July 30th,  business at the popular restaurant nosedived.

“We only had three customers in the entire time,” Bean said.

On July 30th, hundreds of people marched to City Hall, as part of an organized protest over the police shooting and calls for the city to take action on a list of demands.

Bean says all businesses in the downtown area were on edge, and some even closed that day, unsure of what would happen. Streets around city hall were blocked off for hours as a precaution.   Luckily, there was no violence, and while the longtime restaurant owner says he supports the right to march and protest peacefully, there are some employees who are hurt whenever customers can’t, or won’t come in.

“There are employees who are commission based and tip based who work down here and anytime a business is slow it really affects everyone’s income so it concerns me more about the employees income and their livelihood than even my own,” Bean said.

A march this past weekend drew fewer participants, but portions of some streets were blocked during the protest.  Also, Bean hired security during both rallies.

One pastor who has been involved in organizing the marches says no one wants to harm any downtown businesses. He believes the protests are a way to show people are serious about their concerns.

“It would be nice if our business community would come out and urge, that these issues be resolved and be addressed, we’re definitely not anti business,” said Harold Wilson, pastor of New Dimension Community Church.

A date for a fourth march has not been set, but a boycott of stores that don’t support the list of demands to the city is ongoing.

Also, while the city has not provided dollar amounts, each police officer who works one of the protests is paid time and a half for every hour on the clock.