Protests were mostly peaceful Tuesday, despite police provocation - Vox.com

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The protests that have surfaced around the United States mostly unfolded peacefully Tuesday night, with any escalation largely coming from law enforcement.

Demonstrations continued across the nation despite many cities imposing curfews — a number of which were ignored by protesters. In Houston and Philadelphia, protesters raised their arms in a gesture of surrender; in Chicago and Los Angeles, they sat in the street; in Washington, DC, and St. Paul, they kneeled and sat in silence. And across the US, agitation and property seizures were limited — there was little focus on causing chaos or opportunism, and more focus on the message: Americans across the country want to see an end to police killings and are demanding anti-racism reforms.

WATCH - Once again, thousands of protesters are laying on the Burnside Bridge with their hands behind their back. It's the fifth day of protests in the City of Portland #LiveOnK2 pic.twitter.com/nLvO9Ezzam
— Dan McCarthy (@DanMcKATU) June 3, 2020

Hundreds of protesters, mostly in black and in masks, march down a street. Lit by a setting sun and yellow streetlights, they carrying signs — the one visible in the foreground read, “Stop Killing My Neighbors #blacklivesmatter.” — Demonstrators march in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 2.

Protesters in front of a black fence, through which the White House is visible. They stand shoulder to shoulder, some raising signs reading, “Black Lives Matter” and “No Justice, No Peace.” — Demonstrators gather in front of the White House for the fifth consecutive day to protest the death of George Floyd and police violence against black Americans on June 2.

A group of protesters surround an armored Humvee with weapons mounts (not in use) parked in the middle of a street. They chant, and hold signs reading “Black Lives Matter,” “Tu Lucha Es Mi Lucha,” and “Stop Killing Black People.” — A military vehicle parked on Washington, DC, streets on June 2.

Tuesday’s protests followed a chaotic night of police and military-style crackdowns on Monday — particularly in Washington, DC — and as President Donald Trump called for an increased military presence in cities. But as the president has been advocating for more force, members of the family of George Floyd — the unarmed black man whose killing at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked the protests — have advocated for deescalation.

On Monday, Floyd’s brother, Terrence Floyd, told protesters in Minneapolis, “Let’s do this another way,” adding, “If I’m not over here wildin’ out, if I’m not over here blowing up stuff, if I’m not over here messing up my community then what are y’all doing?”

And Tuesday, in Houston, where George Floyd grew up, his brother Philonise Floyd asked for demonstrations to continue, but that they be peaceful, telling a crowd that through continued activism, police reform would become a reality.

“We’re trying to break the cycle right now,” he said. “We got this.”

Amid hundreds of flowers left by supporters, George Floyd’s brother, Terrance, speaks into a megaphone. Behind him is Cup Foods, the convenience store in front of which George Floyd was killed. He is surrounded by supporters and members of the press. — Terrence Floyd (center) speaks to a group gathered at the site where his brother George Floyd was killed by police.

Roxie Washington, who shares a 6-year-old daughter with Floyd, also spoke to the public about her loss on Tuesday, and what it will mean for her daughter, Gianna, to grow up without her father.

“At the end of the day, they get to go home and be with their families,” Washington said of the police involved in Floyd’s killing. “Gianna does not have a father. He will never see her grow up, graduate. He will never walk her down the aisle. If there’s a problem she’s having and she needs a dad, she does not have that any more.”

Following these remarks, peaceful and, at times solemn, protests were held throughout the United States. This was reminiscent of the Ferguson uprising, after which Michael’s Brown family called for peace on the day in 2014 when it was announced the officer who killed him would not be indicted: “Answering violence with violence is not the appropriate reaction,” the family said in a statement then. “Let’s not just make noise, let’s make a difference.”

In Washington, DC, thousands gathered in front of the White House. They were barred from entering the park that was the site of an unprovoked tear gas attack by security forces Monday that was seemingly launched to clear the area to allow the president access to a historic nearby church for a photo opportunity.

That park was blocked off by a newly erected black fence, which protesters at times rattled, particularly after a 7 pm ET curfew. But the crowd was a peaceful one — speeches from Martin Luther King Jr. played on a loudspeaker as volunteers distributed water, hand sanitizer, and snacks; protesters chanted “Hands up, don’t shoot,” and “Vote him out” while also pausing to take a knee in silence.

A black man in a black t-shirt and a black mask raises his arms as he marches. Behind him are dozens of other protesters, of all ethnicities. — Curfews were imposed in many cities across the country. Protesters remain on the street in Washington, DC after that city’s curfew.

A knot of protesters, all in black, raise their arms after dark. They are lit by amber streetlights, and many have signs reading “Black Lives Matter.” — Protesters in Washington, DC on June 2.

The National Guard could be seen throughout the city, particularly in the area near national monuments — and while helicopters were omnipresent, their pilots did not engage in the sort of military-style crowd control tactics of the previous night, which are now reportedly under investigation by National Guard officials.

Similar demonstrations unfolded elsewhere in the country. In St. Paul, Minnesota, thousands gathered in front of the state capitol building, sitting on its lawn, raising their fists. In Chicago, protesters gathered at city landmarks like Wrigley Field, and marched through historic districts, at times pausing to sit in the streets. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti saw protesters visiting his neighborhood, assembling peacefully outside his home, their hands in peace signs. In Houston, a march was led by Philonise Floyd and members of the Floyd family, with protesters calling for “Peace on the left, justice on the right.”

Philonise bows his head as family and friends rest their hands on his chest, arms, and shoulders. They all wear black. His black t-shirt has a greyscale drawing of George, the words “I can’t breathe” written over his mouth. — Philonise Floyd, George Floyd’s brother, is surrounded by family members at a protest rally in Houston, Texas, on June 2.

With city hall lit and skyscrapers lit up for the night behind them, a diverse group of protesters raise their arms as they march in the middle of a street. One, in a cowboy hat, raises a statue of the virgin Mary above his head. — Protesters march past City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 2.

A long line of police officers in riot gear watch a bundle of protesters sitting on the sidewalk against shuttered businesses. The protesters are in zip-tie restraints. — Protesters are arrested after a 6 pm curfew went into effect in Los Angeles, California, on June 2.

While there were reports of some rocks and glass being thrown at law enforcement at a protest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, most reports of provocations and violence were of attacks and unsafe tactics carried out by police in cities around the country.

In Atlanta, where there were some reports of property seizures and use of fireworks by protesters, police broke up largely peaceful crowds with tear gas near the CNN Center and Centennial Olympic Park. The tear-gassing came following Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp decrying what he characterized as people “using this moment to riot, to loot and to compromise the safety of our citizenry” and promising, “We will do whatever is necessary to keep the peace.”

Police in Charlotte, North Carolina, also used tear gas to break up protests they said had led to them “being assaulted with bottles, rocks, and chemical agents.” Protesters disputed this narrative, however, telling the Charlotte Agenda that protests were entirely peaceful until police fired pepper balls, flash bangs, and tear gas at them, an assertion the Agenda’s Katie Peralta and Andrew Weber note appears to be supported by video posted to social media.

“All of us gathered to show that Charlotte will be the city that does things peacefully and we demonstrated it,” protester Edwin Gonzalez said. “But CMPD betrayed us and led us into a trap.”

In New York City, police did, in fact, trap protesters on the Manhattan Bridge, which connects the island of Manhattan to Brooklyn. The protesters attempted to march across the bridge after the city’s 8 pm ET curfew went into effect, and were stopped by police blockades at either exit.

PIX 11 reports the protesters were not allowed off the bridge until around 11 pm. Photos and video of the scene show it was packed. Under normal circumstances, such a tactic would be a public safety risk due to dangers of trampling; but in the middle of a pandemic — although many wore masks — it becomes potential for a super-spreader event.

There were also some limited reports of property seizures in New York and other cities. But there were not the widespread reports of seizures and fires that have characterized the previous week’s nights of protest. Overall, Tuesday night’s protests marked the maximization of the voices of peaceful protesters and the minimization of agitators.

What was left were largely examples of the sort of police behavior the uprisings hope to change.

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