Target CEO responds to Minneapolis protests: ‘We are a community in pain’
Target CEO Brian Cornell said the destroyed Target store would be rebuilt
The death of a black man being detained by a white police officer has unleashed the "pent-up pain of years," the CEO of Target said, promising to send first-aid supplies to areas affected by subsequent riots and rebuild a looted company store in Minneapolis, where George Floyd died.
The site was one of many retail operations ransacked by demonstrators protesting Floyd's death, which has since sparked upheaval across the country, and Minneapolis-based Target has closed several locations to protect employees and customers.
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“We are a community in pain,” CEO Brian Cornell wrote in a statement on the Target website. “That pain is not unique to the Twin Cities -- it extends across America. The murder of George Floyd has unleashed the pent-up pain of years, as have the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor.
“As a Target team, we’ve huddled, we’ve consoled, we’ve witnessed horrific scenes similar to what’s playing out now and wept that not enough is changing,” Cornell added. “And as a team we’ve vowed to face pain with purpose.”
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Cornell said that the company had already started working on getting first aid supplies, medication and other necessities to the areas most hit by the demonstrations and that the displaced employees would have full pay and benefits “in the coming weeks.”
He added that the destroyed store would be rebuilt.
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“In any of our other locations that are damaged or at risk, the safety and well-being of our team, guests and the surrounding community will continue to be our paramount priority,” he said.
“It’s hard to see now, but the day will come for healing—and our team will join our hearts, hands and resources in that journey,” he added.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TGT | TARGET CORP. | 121.76 | -34.24 | -21.95% |