Uncle Hugo’s Bookstore Burned Down in Riots
Uncle Hugo’s, the oldest independent science fiction and fantasy bookstore in the US founded in 1974, burned down during the recent riots protesting police brutality and racism in the wake of the shocking death of George Floyd during a police arrest in Minneapolis. As of May 30, at least 250 businesses across the Twin Cities had been damaged or destroyed. Some, including Uncle Hugo’s, were destroyed completely by fire or suffered extensive water damage. Uncle Edgar’s bookstore, a specialty mystery, suspense, and thrillers shop, which was housed within Uncle Hugo’s, is also gone.
Dreamhaven Books down the road “was trashed” according to owner Greg Ketter, but did not burn down. Ketter confirmed they are all safe, and many volunteers have shown up to help with cleaning up the damage.
[Thanks to Magenta Griffith for the alert.]
June 4 Update:
Uncle Hugo’s has officially claimed a Go Fund Me page started to help rebuild and reopen the business. To donate, click here.
[Thanks to Jude Feldman for the alert.]
June 5 Update:
Greg Ketter, owner of Dreamhaven Books, has started a Go Fund Me page to raise $25,000 to help his business recover from damages. To donate, click here.
June 8 Update:
To donate to Uncle Hugo’s by sending a check or money order, contact Mike Glyer at mikeglyer@cs.com for an address.
[via File 770]
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It’s too much. Heartbreaking.
So sad.
Does anyone believe that the plight of the oppressed black people will be positively rectified through Anarchy?
Is Mogadishu the model toward which we should strive?
It appears their plight isn’t improved by turning the other cheek and waiting for police brutality and economic cruelty to end. The only thing surprising about this is that it didn’t happen sooner.
Why the protesting and rioting? Because until now the police have held a special position in our society as a protected class. They could lie, cheat, steal, break the law and murder civilians and usually get away with it. Not any more. Murder a civilian in broad daylight? Your police precinct gets burned to the ground. Don’t want this to happen? Well then don’t break the law. Consequences suck but it’s what keeps our society civil.
Your comment about “civility” is full of irony.
Absolutely horrific. This small buisness owner has lost everything. So tragic. First COVID then the riots. All these people should be held accountable and rebuild this bookstore.
The police should rebuild the bookstore. They’ve been on the public dole long enough. We pay them to beat and kill us, it’s time they do something productive
Call it what it is. Arson. Arson by some cowardly asshole hiding behind a crowd of legitimate protestors.
What have the owners and workers said about this? Because some business owners have both expressed pain but also said they still support the protests.
Oh awful! We have to put it back. I don’t know how. I feel lost.
Sad, but no property is more valuable than lives.
No, property is earned through work. Work that Is your life. People literally put years of thier life into something. It is absolutely as valuable. No one has a right to arbitrarily take either. If one does they forfeit thier own.
“I’m pretty sure the insurance policy excludes damage from a civil insurrection, so I suspect I won’t get a cent for either the building or the contents.” — owner
https://thefederalist.com/2020/06/01/minneapolis-rioters-burned-one-of-americas-most-beloved-independent-bookstores-to-the-ground/
So sad, I hope they’re able to rebuild
My favorite book store in the world. I’m just sick about this. We have got to grow up and start treating everyone equally.