Small businesses across the Chicago area closed their doors Friday, Jan. 30 as part of a nationwide strike protesting federal immigration enforcement and the fatal shootings of Minneapolis residents by federal agents that have ignited protests across the country.

Organizers called on students and workers to stay home to apply political and economic pressure on the government after the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis by federal agents. 

In solidarity with the strike, some businesses chose to close their doors for the day.  

LGBTQ-owned Scent Queens Candle Co. in the Albany Park neighborhood closed to take part in the national shutdown. 

Curtis Bumgardner, owner of Scent Queens Candle Co., said a national strike can be effective if it is planned and organized ahead of time.  

Bumgardner added that the business also participates in other forms of protest, largely by supporting their community and spreading awareness.

“We are vocal on social media and within our shop — we post signs on our windows, have specific candles dedicated to the protest and donate to different organizations.”

However, Eyad Zeid, owner of Uptown’s Nabala Cafe, expressed criticism of the strike’s lack of organization. 

“We have never received a single communication from local organizers working to build this movement,” said Zeid in a social media post. “Are we really expecting an Instagram post to inspire mass action?”

Although Zeid would like to shut down his business in solidarity with the protest, his business could not afford to lose the Friday sales during the slow winter season.  

“Organizing a general strike is everybody’s responsibility but has been nobody’s responsibility thus far,” Zeid said. “It’s important that this is a priority discussion in all organizing spaces, especially for those with the means to mobilize masses of people.”

At Columbia, Amelia Lutz, executive vice president for the Student Government Association encouraged students to support small businesses if they were able.

“Take the time to give back to your community rather than bigger corporations,” said Lutz, a junior film and television major. “At the end of the day, we can’t be bystanders in this, and we need to focus on helping protect and serve our community.” 

Although Moe Kuhlman, a junior stage management major, didn’t know much about the strike, they also felt there were better ways to protest, including calling lawmakers.

“People shouldn’t be judged if they do go to work or class,” Kuhlman said. “We pay for classes, and we need to go to work to survive.”

Carrie Bowers, owner of Embellish Chicago in the Northcenter Neighborhood, chose to stay open but said she will donate a portion of sales to organizations that support groups like the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights or the American Civil Liberties Union.

“I think we need to scream from the mountaintops right now, and when the whole country is active and talking about it, hopefully the government will hear us,” Bowers said, adding that she likes to put her money where her values are and support small businesses.

She said that if someone commits a crime, there should be consequences, but there should also be due process.

“Just arresting and intimidating people because of the color of their skin is a horrific and unjust practice,” Bowers said. 

Despite expressing support for the strike, some students found it difficult to properly participate. 

Sophomore photography major Niomi Olivares said she and her friends were already aware of the general strike nationwide protesting ICE raids, but classes made it hard to fully participate. 

“Me and my friends, we all live in Little Village,” she said. “We’re all Latin Americans, so we are all very much aware of everything that is going on. Most of us were like, ‘I have work, I have to go to class, I have a test.’”

Olivares said blackouts can be helpful because they create visibility and show resistance. 

“If there’s multiple people in a big crowd, people are going to notice,” she said.

Additional reporting by Lily Thomas, Samantha Mosquera, Venus Tapang, Shawn Katz, Mya DeJesus, William Blakely, Liam Rieber and Nico Waugh.

Copy edited by Brandon Anaya