SANTA CRUZ - Anarchists from a May Day riot in Santa Cruz almost two years ago vandalized 18 businesses and did tens of thousands dollars worth of damage. As the next day of activities rolls around, some businesses are on edge.
Santa Cruz Police said they will be increasing patrols throughout the city and monitoring all May Day activities closely on Tuesday.
"If the phone rings at night, my stomach does a little flip flop thinking something's happened to the store. We have to get down there," said Linnaea Holgers James, owner of Artisans gallery.
James still feels the aftermath of the riots two years later.
That's because rioters did three thousand dollars worth of damage to her small business.
There's always that feeling it could happen again.
"A giant rock came through a window so it caused some damage besides the window itself," she said.
In 2010, anarchists used chairs, rocks and sticks to vandalize stores in downtown Santa Cruz.
"I feel very hopeful, but I would hate to see something like that happen again," James said. "At the time, I really felt the police response was not what I was hoping for."
James said that changed over the last two years and she sees a new partnership between police and local businesses.
She's confident better communication and an increase in patrols will stop another riot from breaking out.
"I think we'll just hope for the best and of course if anything happens, we'll rush right down there. But there's not much you can do," she said.
While the damage is gone, the painful memories remain.
"It was hard to get past that initial feeling of, 'Why? Why do this to a small local business?' But since then I feel like things downtown have gotten better," James said.
