Apple has boarded up some of its retail locations in the United States as protests continue throughout the country in response to the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who was killed after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nine minutes.
Apple says it is keeping some of its retail stores closed to prioritize the health and safety of its employees. The move comes just as Apple was beginning to gradually reopen stores in the US following months of widespread closures because of the coronavirus.
"With the health and safety of our teams in mind, we've made the decision to keep a number of our stores in the US closed today," an Apple spokesperson said in a statement to Business Insider.
Photos circulating on social media over the past few days show Apple Stores in locations across the country, from New York City to Washington state, with their windows and entrances boarded up.
Protests and demonstrations have spanned the country in recent days, with tensions escalating. Some cities have imposed curfews and some police officers have attacked protesters: aiming their weapons or firing at protesters and journalists, tasing or attacking bystanders, or driving their vehicles into crowds. In some cases, stores have been looted, property destroyed, and police cars lit on fire. Videos also surfaced on social media over the weekend that appeared to show people attempting to break into Apple Stores.
Apple has not yet said when it plans to reopen closed stores.
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