It was an early shut down at Highland Mall last Saturday.
Mall officials said they didn't have the security needed to keep shoppers and retailers safe.
Mall merchants like Karen Scott agree with the mall's decision.
"There's just too many people," she said. "The whole mall is just packed from top to bottom."
Some feel the mall's decision to close early sent the wrong message to the black community during last weekend's Texas Relays.
Austin NAACP President Nelson Linder said the timing of the announcement was part of the problem.
"Had he had an issue with security, why not tell us two months
in advance rather than four days in advance," Linder said.
Merchants and patrons continue to be caught between the concern for safety and the freedom to shop.
"If it's a planned event and you know extra people are coming to the town, if you need extra security, I'm sure there's enough people out there that would want jobs where you could hire more security," shopper Carrie Smith said.
Now a week later, the runners and other athletes have gone home but Austin's black community still feels injured from what they said was an insult.
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Mall protest
News 8’s Bonnie Gonzalez explains why one group is encouraging people not to shop at Highland Mall.
 
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That has led to a protest plan for this weekend.
"On Saturday morning at 9 a.m., we're going to have banners, we're going to have signs. We're going to encourage folks, No. 1, to not shop at Highland Mall," Linder said.
Retailers, like Scott, feel things might be different if those prospective protesters were in their shoes.
"If those people that were protesting were working at the mall on Relay weekend they would totally understand the mall's decision," she said.
It's a decision that could bring another large crowd to Highland
Mall again.
Management at Highland Mall was unavailable for comment as of press time.
Statistics from the Austin Police Department show there were
fewer arrests made at the mall during Relay weekend in 2008 than in 2007.
Below are APD's statistics of police reports from Highland Mall during the Texas Relay weekends of 2007 and 2008:
2007
• 6 theft/shoplifting calls
• 1 auto theft
• 1 criminal trespass
• 1 burglary of vehicle
• 1 interfering with public duties (1 officer assaulted)
2008
• 1 burglary of vehicle
• 1 criminal mischief
• 2 possession of drug paraphernalia
• 1 criminal trespass
• 1 theft
• 1 DWI
• 1 leaving the scene collision
