Despite violence, scenes of peace and solidarity prevail at George Floyd protests
Over the last several days, thousands of Americans have spilled into the streets to protest racism, police brutality against black people and the death of George Floyd.
Some protests have turned violent — fires, looting and excessive police force overshadowing peaceful protests across the country.
George Floyd’s family has decried the violence, his brother Terrence calling him “a gentle giant,” KTRK reported.
“I’m outraged too,” he told the outlet. “Sometimes I get angry. I want to go crazy. My brother wasn’t about that. You’ll hear a lot of people saying, ‘He was a gentle giant.’”
George Floyd’s son, Quincy Mason Floyd, praised protesters in Texas for holding peaceful demonstrations, KBTX reported.
“Tearing up things, it’s not going to solve anything,” Floyd told KBTX. “My dad is in peace and we have to be the ones to deal with all this stress. It’s going to be tough to get over this day by day.”
Here are stories of peaceful protests across the country.
Kentucky
During a demonstration in front of police headquarters in Lexington, protesters chanted “kneel with us” as they came face-to-face with officers donning face shields and helmets, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported.
Video of the scene shows protesters cheering and bumping fists with an officer who knelt.
As others knelt, protesters “moved forward to embrace them,” the Herald-Leader reported.
Throughout the protest, organizers repeatedly asked the crowd to keep the large demonstration peaceful, reminding protesters that children were in the crowd, according to the report.
Demonstrators locked arms, chanting “no justice, no peace,” before the march concluded in front of the courthouse with a speech, the Herald-Leader reported.
After organizers dispersed the gathering, a group of protesters stayed and prayed with Lexington police, according to the report.
New York City
A crowd of protesters cheered as police officers knelt with them during a demonstration on Sunday.
Hundreds of people gathered for a peaceful march in Queens near the 103rd police precinct, CNN reported. In a video shot by Aleeia Abraham, a pastor is heard inviting officers to kneel with protesters in a circle.
You can view the full video here.
Abraham told the outlet it was the first time she’d seen police kneel with protesters — in her years of activism or at televised protests —but adding that “what we’re really looking for is action,” CNN reported.
“I’ll be even more impressed when we’re not stepped on and gunned down,” she said, according to the outlet. “That’s the moment I’m looking for.”
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea both commended the scene on Twitter.
“This is how change begins,” Cuomo wrote in a tweet about the video.
“We need more of this, to see and hear each other, to work together, to recognize that our differences are our strength,” Shea wrote online.
Chicago
On Sunday, hundreds of peaceful protesters took to the streets of Chicago, marching from the Loop — which had been damaged in earlier protests — to Bronzeville near police headquarters, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Protesters knelt before beginning their march, which ended when they encountered a number of police officers and city plows blocking their path, according to the Sun-Times.
Organizer Deon Stevenson asked an officer to let them pass in the hope of holding a “peaceful lock-in” at police headquarters, but the officer refused, telling Stevenson that investigators had heard that “there’s members of the group that want to storm the building,” the newspaper reported.
The demonstrators ultimately dispersed, according to the Sun-Times.
Minneapolis
After days of violent protests in Minneapolis, demonstrators gathered at the intersection where a police officer knelt on George Floyd’s neck, WRAL reported.
Video of the scene shows some protesters sitting and others kneeling before a sea of flowers and balloons at a makeshift memorial for Floyd.
Protesters said they hoped their peaceful protest would keep the focus on honoring George Floyd, WRAL reported.
Michigan
On Saturday, Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson put down his baton and helmet to join demonstrators when they encountered police officers in riot gear in Flint, according to CNN.
“The only reason we’re here is to make sure that you got a voice — that’s it,” Swanson told the crowd, CNN reported.
After Swanson engaged with the crowd with smiles and high-fives, protesters chanted for Swanson to “walk with us!” according to CNN. And he did.
“Let’s go, let’s go,” he said, according to the outlet. “Where do you want to walk? We’ll walk all night.”
California
Protesters in Temecula assembled peacefully with signs over the weekend, the Patch reported.
A Facebook page for the demonstration said protesters were gathering to promote “awareness about police brutality and racism in the justice system,” according to the Patch. Organizers also handed out resources protesters could use “to urge the DA to get the officers responsible for George Floyd’s murder charged with their crimes,” according to the outlet.
In Los Angeles, protesters danced near the Grove shopping center.
“This was beautiful ... absolutely beautiful,” @HarrisonSanford tweeted. “This thing went sideways once the cops tried to stop the march from getting into Beverly Hills going west of Fairfax and 3rd.”
New Jersey
In Newark, protesters were filmed doing the “Cupid Shuffle” as some held signs, Today reported.
Twitter user @FrostytheSkid shared the video with the caption: “Put this on the news.”
Ohio
At a protest in Canton, video shows demonstrators broke into song, singing “Lean On Me.”
“Peaceful protests in Canton, Ohio breaks into song,” @Jake_Friel tweeted. “What a beautiful thing this is to see. #unity”
This story was originally published June 1, 2020 at 11:58 AM with the headline "Despite violence, scenes of peace and solidarity prevail at George Floyd protests."