How To Protect Your Business If Riots Hit Dallas Again This Weekend
Here are 10 Top Tips to Help Dallas Businesses Prepare for Civil Unrest:
Review and update your emergency communication protocols.
Remove loose items like trash bins or sidewalk displays that could be used as projectiles.
Reinforce glass storefronts with protective film, boards, or polycarbonate sheeting.
Back up security camera footage and ensure cameras are functional and visible.
Shut off or secure critical infrastructure like gas lines and electronics if evacuating.
Alert employees early and consider remote work for Saturday.
Prepare an emergency kit with food, water, and medical supplies.
Identify multiple evacuation routes for staff.
Check your business insurance to ensure riot-related damage is covered.
Monitor real-time updates from police and emergency officials.
Numerous No Kings demonstrations are planned across DFW for Saturday, June 14. No Kings' website states that it is explicitly and ardently anti-Trump. One entry adds, 'No Kings is a nationwide day of defiance. From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we're taking action to reject authoritarianism—and show the world what democracy really looks like.'
These demonstrations raise fears that there could be echoes of events on June 9 when a demonstration near the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge escalated into arrests, pepper spray deployments, and firework-throwing agitators. That event, organized against President Donald Trump's renewed ICE deportation initiative, mirrored violent outbursts in Los Angeles where vehicles burned and National Guard units were deployed, The Dallas Express reported.
The Dallas Police Department is aware of the demonstrations. DPD's 'main priority' is the safety of people who 'live, work, and visit' the city, according to a statement previously provided to The Dallas Express.
'The Department will not interfere with a lawful and peaceful assembly of any individuals or groups expressing their First Amendment rights,' the DPD spokesman said. 'Participants will see our patrols as they always do at large events.'
Fort Worth's Police Department shared similar sentiments. 'The Fort Worth Police Department is working closely with our community and our Intelligence Fusion Center to monitor all activity during any peaceful protests that may take place in the City of Fort Worth,' a FWPD spokesman said.
Gov. Greg Abbott has reportedly mobilized over 7,000 National Guardsmen in anticipation of what may happen, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
In anticipation of possible unrest, The Dallas Express has compiled the best advice for protecting property and people during potential riots. These recommendations were collected from national business safety guides, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, security firms, and insurance companies, which were produced during the previous waves of nationwide violence in 2020 and 2021.
Advice from the
Following the 2021 post-election unrest, the U.S. Chamber Foundation developed a comprehensive guide for businesses bracing for street-level chaos:
Tips from the Chamber:
Partner with law enforcement for timely alerts.
Lock windows and add protective film or wood barriers.
Hire temporary security, especially near government buildings.
Secure loose objects outside your business that could be weaponized.
Ensure your insurance policy explicitly covers riot-related damage.
Recommendations from
Riot Glass, a security firm specializing in protective materials, emphasized dual strategies: safety for employees and protection for property.
Tips for Staying Safe:
Keep an emergency kit with first aid, food, and water at your location.
Create detailed evacuation plans with alternate routes.
Monitor real-time police updates via scanner or social media.
Close early and send employees home at the first sign of unrest.
Tips for Property Protection:
Install highly visible surveillance cameras.
Hire security guards for entrances and exits.
Move vital equipment to safer locations and shut down utilities.
Overglaze windows with polycarbonate shields or board them up.
Insights from
Chubb, a major commercial insurer, emphasized business continuity and employee safety during unpredictable events.
Employee-Focused Tips:
Urge staff to avoid protest areas and allow remote work.
Keep employee contact information up-to-date.
Make all staff familiar with emergency plans.
Facility-Focused Tips:
Test alarms and backup systems.
Remove combustibles and secure doors and windows.
If vacating, shut down utilities while maintaining fire systems.
On June 9, demonstrators in Dallas initially gathered to denounce ICE raids, where some reportedly hurled fireworks at police. DPD declared the demonstration unlawful by 9:40 p.m. and deployed pepper spray after dispersal orders were ignored. At least one arrest was confirmed.
Footage from the scene showed demonstrators chanting 'Free Palestine' and waving Mexican flags, The Dallas Express reported.
While many participated peacefully, the confrontation resembled the escalating unrest in California that prompted national headlines and responses from political figures, including Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) and entrepreneur Elon Musk, DX reported.
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