2020 George Floyd protests: Difference between revisions

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* Koplowitz, Howard (June 2, 2020) "‘We don’t have anything to enforce’: Jeffco sheriff says office not notified of county curfew." {{BN}}
* Koplowitz, Howard (June 2, 2020) "‘We don’t have anything to enforce’: Jeffco sheriff says office not notified of county curfew." {{BN}}
* Robinson, Carol (June 2, 2020) "Hoover police arrested at least 60 protesters in less than a week." {{BN}}
* Robinson, Carol (June 2, 2020) "Hoover police arrested at least 60 protesters in less than a week." {{BN}}
* "{{'}}They just scared me to death.{{'}}: Hear from one of the 2 people detained by FBI after Tuesday’s peaceful protest in Homewood." (June 2, 2020) WBRC.com
* Thornton, William (June 3, 2020) "Of marches and monuments: 5 days in Alabama." {{BN}}
* Thornton, William (June 3, 2020) "Of marches and monuments: 5 days in Alabama." {{BN}}


Revision as of 15:00, 3 June 2020

The George Floyd protests and riots were a nationwide campaign of public demonstrations accompanied by scores of riots triggered by the death of George Floyd, a black man in Minneapolis, Minnesota who lost consciousness while pinned under the knee of police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25, 2020.

Floyd had been handcuffed on suspicion of passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a take-out restaurant, but did not cooperate with being forced into the back of a police car. Chauvin arrived as back-up to the arresting officers. He pulled Floyd back out of the car and pinned him face down with his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes, during which time he lost consciousness. The incident was recorded by onlookers and police body cameras. Floyd was taken from the scene by ambulance and pronounced dead at the Hennepin County Medical Center. On May 29 the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension charged Chauvin with 3rd degree murder and 2nd degree manslaughter in connection with Floyd's death.

Video of Chauvin's use of force was widely shared on social media and mass media. Floyd's death resounded as the latest in a long line of black men killed by police in the United States. That toll had already spawned large nationwide protest actions, many under the banner of Black Lives Matter, a social media hashtag that became a movement following the murder of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida in 2013.

Birmingham

More than 100 demonstrators gathered at Kelly Ingram Park on Thursday May 28 to call for justice for Floyd. Hundreds more demonstrated on Friday May 29.

Larger demonstrations were held in Birmingham on May 30 and May 31, including one rally at Kelly Ingram Park co-sponsored by the Birmingham Office of Social Justice and Racial Equity and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, featuring speeches by Mayor Randall Woodfin and U.S. Senator Doug Jones.

Later on the evening of May 31, a large group of protesters assembled at Linn Park where some began to vandalize public monuments in the park. Most of the attention was given to the 30-foot tall Confederate Soldiers & Sailors Monument, but efforts to pull it over failed. The Charles Linn statue was toppled and the bases of the Spanish American War Memorial and World War I Memorial were defaced and some windows at the Jefferson County Courthouse and the Birmingham Board of Education building were broken.

Journalists covering the growing unrest also experienced violence. ABC 33/40 reporter Stephen Quinn was struck in the head and robbed of his wallet. Alabama Media Group's Madison Underwood was assaulted by a group that beat him and took his phone.

Mayor Randall Woodfin addressed the crowd engaged in vandalizing the Confederate monument that if they would give him 24 hours, he would finish the job they started. Police cleared the park shortly after 10:00 PM, but vandalism continued as groups dispersed through downtown streets breaking windows and lighting fires. Significant damage was reported at the Alabama Power building, and the California Fashion Mall. Windows were broken at the Robert S. Vance Federal Building, the Hugo L. Black Federal Courthouse, Innovation Depot, 1901 Sixth Avenue, Shipt Tower, Redmont Hotel, Adams Eyecare, Zoe's Kitchen, Lyric Theatre, Alabama Theatre, Shu Shop, Tech Loft, Wheelhouse Salon, Miami Fusion Cafe, Charm and many other businesses. Fourteen businesses reported burglaries and five fires were reported. At least 24 people were arrested overnight as a convoy of police cleared the streets.

Volunteers began helping to clean up broken glass and other debris overnight, and were joined by Roy Wood Jr who encouraged more people to turn out and publicized the clean-up efforts. Jermaine Johnson contributed to some of the businesses that suffered damage.

The city enforced an emergency curfew to begin at 7:00 PM the following night to help prevent further criminal destruction. Woodfin stated that, "I 100% support civil disobedience, but that is very different from civil unrest." As promised, the city began dismantling the Confederate monument that evening. The neighboring suburbs of Homewood, Hoover, and Mountain Brook also enacted curfews.

Homewood

A public rally in support of Black Lives Matter was held in Homewood Central Park on Tuesday afternoon. A notable portion of the rally involved all the participants lying down face down on the ground for the full 8 minutes and 46 seconds that George Floyd was pinned down, hearing his last words spoken. Following the peaceful demonstration, two individuals were detained and questioned by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Parkridge Drive behind the park. Both were released without charges.

Hoover

Protests outside the Hoover Municipal Complex on Friday and Saturday evening escalated as the group moved to occupy U.S. Highway 31. The conflict continued on Sunday afternoon, with several bottles thrown at armored police. The protests resulted in at least 60 arrests. Windows were broken at Von Maur and Jared at the Riverchase Galleria, but the vandalism was not connected to the demonstrations.

Jefferson County

No large public demonstrations were reported outside Birmingham, Homewood and Hoover. In some areas the most visible effect of the protests and rioting was a run on gun and ammunition sales. There were also several robberies or attempted robberies at gun stores Monday night and Tuesday morning.

The Jefferson County Commission enacted a county-wide curfew beginning at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, June 2, but enforcement was delayed by lack of communication with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.

References

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