Volunteers board up shop in West Hollywood to protect it

WEST HOLLYWOOD (KABC) -- Certo Shoes in West Hollywood was planning to reopen this week after being closed for months due to COVID-19.

While that didn't happen, what did happen was an outpouring of support for the store with volunteers coming together to help protect it at this time.

"I got a group of my friends and we got them together and we decided, hey, in the world right now, what we see is a lot of chaos. We see a lot of destruction, and we felt like what it needed was rebuilding and service and kindness," said volunteer Arthur Kanai.

Many small businesses were recently destroyed throughout Los Angeles in areas including Santa Monica, West Hollywood and Downtown LA.

Some of the volunteers who are helping board up shops are also small business owners themselves so said they understand the threat.

"We all got together, everyone's here just to be in support. Everyone jumped in and said, 'Yes.' And was like, 'Yeah, let's do something good today,'" said Kanai.

Despite lost businesses, Kanai says he understands the frustration.

"It's justified anger, we see it, we get it," he said.

He said he hopes that by helping others and leading with kindness, everyone can get what they want.

"If it's destruction and anger that's happening, what is missing is kindness and love. And so I decided to wake up today and access that and get my friends to be that as well. And hopefully enough of us do that we can solve this problem of unjustified murder and protests and police brutality and rioting," said Kanai.