Moon Palace Books, with 'abolish the police' sign, is spared in protests
Moon Palace Books in south Minneapolis was one of few businesses spared Wednesday night as some protesting over George Floyd's death turned into rioting.
The bookstore, at 3032 Minnehaha Ave., is locally owned and has been selling books since 2012, according to its website. In a tweet Thursday, Moon Palace Books said, "We're ok. Heartbroken for our neighbors and our community. Abolish the police."
People on Twitter noted the independent bookstore was among the few businesses in the area of the Minneapolis Pollice Department's 3rd Precinct that were left untouched Wednesday night.
Some people tweeted they aren't surprised Moon Palace Books was spared because the bookstore has been supportive of protesters. Others are encouraging people to order books from them online.
Jennifer Brooks of the Star Tribune tweeted, "Moon Palace Books is OK. The owner was out all night talking with people who approached the shop. They’re boarding up now, just in case."
Bookstore owner Jamie Schwesnedl told Brooks he scrambled to stop police from setting up a staging area next to his shop.
The book shop is home to Geek Love Cafe, which said it was making pizzas for people on the streets Wednesday night.
The book store did board up its windows on Thursday ahead of another round of protests.
Escalating demonstrations demanding justice for Floyd have been going since he died Monday night after a police officer knelt on his neck for minutes while he was handcuffed. The incident was caught on video in which Floyd can be heard saying "I can't breathe."
The four officers at the scene, at Chicago and 38th, have been fired, and the FBI and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are investigating.
As of Thursday afternoon, the officers had not been charged with a crime, despite calls from the Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and others to arrest them.
