"This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Luke Breen, co-owner of specialty bike shop Perennial Cycle in uptown Minneapolis. The following conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity. Perennial is a specialty bike shop. We do cargo bikes, city utility bikes, and commuting bikes, and have been a niche business for 33 years. Perennial focuses on community events. Last year, we did 35 organized community rides."
"You cannot be in Minneapolis without ICE's presence impacting your day-to-day. You just simply cannot. Imagine: We had to shut down our schools to keep children safe. It is insane what is happening right now. As a bike shop, we've had meetings so we can be aware of each other's levels of anxiety - how we're doing, is everybody OK? For some people, it's going to affect them a little differently, and we've come up with a plan for if ICE is on the block."
"We were closed on Friday, January 23, for the ICE OUT protest. To me, it's a big ask to have small businesses go on strike, and later I heard that it was the first general strike in 80 years. I'm really glad that Perennial did that. I also went to the march in downtown Minneapolis last Friday afternoon and was a little overwhelmed with emotions."
Perennial Cycle is a specialty bike shop in uptown Minneapolis that sells cargo, city utility and commuting bicycles and has operated as a niche business for 33 years. The shop centers community events, organizing 35 community rides last year and hosting fundraisers. Perennial closed on January 23 for the ICE OUT protest and participated in what organizers termed a general strike. Staff hold meetings to monitor anxiety and maintain a plan for responding if ICE is present on the block. The co-owner attended a downtown march and described an overwhelming, massive turnout and an intense, communal atmosphere. Minnesota businesses face operational impacts from ICE activity and tariffs.
Read at Business Insider
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