On Saturday, Bloomberg Quint reported that there is a huge spike in sales of military gear as Americans fear widespread civil unrest in the wake of the election — no matter who wins.
"'Tactical apparel' has become a lifestyle industry serving militarized law-enforcement agents and the freelance gunmen who emulate them," reported Peter Robison, Rachel Adams-Heard, and Erik Larson. "Less than two weeks before Election Day, orders are rolling in." For example, "Since last year, online purchases have driven a 20-fold jump in sales of goods like the $220 CM-6M gas mask — resistant to bean-bag rounds — for Mira Safety of Austin, Texas."
"A shift became apparent with this spring’s Black Lives Matter protests and bitterly resented pandemic lockdowns," said the report. "Now the gear is everywhere, from camouflage-clad antifa supporters to right-wing extremists who appeared at Michigan’s capitol even after men were arrested in a plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer."
"In some suburban and rural settings, it’s become everyday wear," said the report. "A retail chain called 5.11 Tactical, which traces its roots to a friend of President Donald Trump’s adult sons, is even trying to turn the survivalist look into a fashionable national brand. It’s racking up annual sales of almost $400 million with stores in places including Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the U.S. Army’s Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Across the country, gun and ammunition sales have surged as well."
