3 Austin Targets temporarily closed in response to protests

Three Austin Target stores are among those temporarily closed in response to weekend protests being held across the country decrying the death of George Floyd and police brutality against black Americans.

The Austin locations Target initially announced would close are:

Saltillo on East Fifth Street

UT Campus on Guadalupe Street

Austin North on Research Blvd.

A Target store in Minneapolis, where the chain is based, was located near the site where police took Floyd into custody and were seen kneeling on his neck while he pleaded for air in videos taken by onlookers. The store was later damaged during resulting protests in the city.

Several people shared pictures of Austin Targets with a police presence over the weekend or stores that had been boarded up:

The East Austin Target is the only store I’ve passed in this area that is closed “due to recent events” today. (And wasn’t still closed due to Covid.) They also seem to have their own police protection. I count 6 officers pic.twitter.com/kvs4y7ROdi

— Allison McNearney (@allisonmcn) May 30, 2020

Me and my friend saw a bunch of police at the target near me before the protesting started her in Austin #BLM pic.twitter.com/8AsiHJak6q

— milky.bunbun (@BrandoKenji) May 31, 2020

Does anyone know what was up with the police presence at the Target on NHWY I35 and Cameron Rd. in Austin? #riots2020 #GeorgeFloydProtests

— IGTMYLM (@IGTMYLM2016) May 31, 2020

Miles away from the protests downtown, this Target in North Austin at Research and Ohlen is boarded up for the night. #austinprotest pic.twitter.com/dL5AWM6vHt

— Iain Oldman (@IainOldman) May 31, 2020

pic.twitter.com/pfOHYnVGLL

— drew 'B' 🤳🏽 (@lifesaDrew) May 31, 2020

Just so y’all know Target N 35 Austin is heavily boarded up and protected by armed policemen! pic.twitter.com/8l06H1I9re

— Jared VosWinkel (@JaredVos) May 31, 2020

In response to the protests, Target vowed to continue to pay and provide benefits to employees of the damaged store and reopen any other stores damaged during protests.

The chain has not said how long stores are expected to be closed for or if additional locations will be included.

Earlier today, Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency for all of the state’s counties over the ongoing protests and announced the deployment of thousands more state troopers and National Guard soldiers to Austin and other cities in the state.

READ: Abbott declares disaster over protests, deploys more forces