The iconic windows of Saks Fifth Avenue were covered in plywood Monday morning, ahead of possible election protests.

It's a scene almost identical to what New Yorkers saw on June 3rd. The luxury department store was boarded up, covered in barbed wire and flanked by security guards as protests following the death of George Floyd led to several nights of looting across the city.

There are concerns that could happen again.

“You never know what’s gonna happen, people are gonna be upset no matter what," one passerby said.

It’s just not luxury stores on Fifth Avenue taking precautions. Boards are going up in Herald Square, SoHo and other shopping districts around the city and country. It's a reaction to the chaos that broke out five months ago; windows of stores shattered as people grabbed any items they could.  

“Out of an abundance of caution, like many businesses, we are implementing additional security measures at certain locations in the event of civil unrest due to the current election. This could include boarding or additional security personnel. As always, the safety of our customers, associates, and communities, as well as the protection of our physical assets, is of utmost importance," Saks fifth Avenue said in a statement.

It’s a sad reality for some New Yorkers walking by.

“This is terrible, this is robbing our soul, it’s terrible, I see this, I saw this first thing Saturday morning it makes me cry, it really really makes you cry because you would never expect that in New York you would have something like this," one man said.

The NYPD said additional cops have been told to be in uniform if they are needed and officers have been retraining over the last several months on how to deal with large protests.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said there's no specific threat, and is urging New Yorkers to protest peacefully if they choose to.

"I respect the decision of each store owner," he said."We're not giving guidance but if that's what they choose to do we understand."

When these stores were boarded up early this summer, they were not open yet due to coronavirus restrictions, now they are open to shoppers, but it’s unclear if it’ll stay that way on Election Day.