After Riots Damage Downtown, People Organize And Help Pick Up The Pieces

Supplies being used to clean up were donated from Pounds and also crowdfunding through Venmo.

FARGO, N.D. — At Vinyl Taco and JL Beers downtown Fargo, the glass is being swept up and the boards are going up after the two restaurants like many others took a heavy beating from Saturday night protests.

“It’s absolutely heartbreaking. Nobody wants to see that. It absolutely could have been us,” Pounds Co-Owner Alan Kasin said.

The streets and avenues covered with graffiti are now being washed as hundreds of volunteers spent all morning cleaning up.

The massive project, called “Downtown Fargo Cleanup,” was put together by Dalton Luther and Krissee Grosso.

“I think that everybody coming together and coming together to show their support for the community by helping and cleaning up and extending a helping hand shows and proves that we are strong and that we are not going to be defeated by this,” Grosso said.

Everyone we spoke to says they support the peaceful protests and cause that thousands to march, but don’t support the violence that followed.

All supplies being used to clean up were donated from Pounds and also crowdfunding through Venmo.

All left over cash is going directly to the Fargo-Moorhead Solidarity Fund that goes to civil causes and towards workers and businesses that have been negatively affected by COVID-19.

“I have been extremely moved two times in the past two days. The first was seeing all the people walking through the streets and the 2nd time was for how many people showed up for cleanup, Kasin said.

As more volunteers showed, up the group had to turn away people. The city had asked for them to slowly disperse to try and cut down on too many people downtown.

Luther says he doesn’t know if Fargo will have to endure another violent riot but says good people will always be there to help pick up the broken pieces.