With all of the havoc that Covid-19 has wreaked on the hair industry, particularly in the state of California, it’s no surprise that salon professionals are frustrated. Hair pros have been laid off, furloughed, or have faced economic uncertainty as a result of rising coronavirus cases all over the Golden State. And if you’re a salon or barbershop owner, you’ve really been through the ringer with the constantly changing state regulations and guidelines regarding closures and reopenings.
With so much upset, some pros have taken matters into their own hands organizing protests to make sure that their voices are being heard. Most recently, the #OpenSalonsNow Peaceful Protest. Here’s everything you need to know about the protests happening in California.
What Is It?
On Aug. 12th, hairstylists and salon owners staged a peaceful protest in Los Angeles, to urge Governor Gavin Newsom to allow them to resume working indoors.
Many protests came armed with masks and signs with phrases like “Save Our Salons”.
Who Organized The Protest?
The protest was organized by Eric Taylor who is the founder and CEO of Salon Republic. His salon offers private studio space to over 1,000 independent beauty professionals across 20 locations in three states, including California, Colorado, and Texas.
His goal with the peaceful protest is to garner support for the local hair community as well as call for lawmakers to reconsider opening California salons.
Why Are They Protesting?
California hairstylists, barbers, and salon owners felt compelled to take their voices to the streets because they have been angered with the decisions being made by Gov. Newsom regarding their industry.
Over the past few months, salon owners have been on a rollercoaster of closing, re-opening, and closing again — for the second time. It was only a few weeks ago that Gov. Newsom granted hair professionals permission to take their services outdoors, but given the summer heat, that hasn’t exactly been an ideal for many business owners. Neither is the fact that any services requiring chemicals or shampooing has been prohibited.
Hairstylists and salon owners hope that by protesting they can voice their concerns to lawmakers and encourage Gov. Newsom to let them work indoors, permanently.