Local Protests Remain Peaceful on Sunday; Other Areas Experience Violence and Vandalism

Protests have been on-going since George Floyd died May 25th – while handcuffed – after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

The incident was captured on video and sparked outrage across the country, and the officer involved in the death, Derek Chauvin, has now been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.  Three other officers have been fired.

Protests have ranged from one extreme to the other with those locally remaining peaceful – meanwhile, in other areas things have escalated into riots, with destruction of property and senseless attacks perpetrated on members of the media and others by those using planned protests as nothing more than  an excuse to create chaos.

Birmingham saw law enforcement officers hit the streets in riot gear Sunday – and into the early morning hours of Monday, after monuments in Linn Park were covered in spray paint and individuals attempted to topple confederate monuments meanwhile looters vandalized bars and restaurants – and shattered windows at the Alabama Power building and Alabama Theater; one business, the California Fashion Mall, burned shortly before 2:00am (Monday)

The city of Hoover saw a second round of protests Sunday afternoon – with approximately 300 protesters and a strong police presence.  Multiple arrests were made.  That protest, on Highway 31 in front of the Hoover Library, started around 4:00pm and as a result traffic was impacted with the northbound lane on 31 being down to one lane through the first part of the protest, but southbound traffic was allowed to pass freely.  Traffic in both the northbound and southbound lanes was eventually blocked by police – as the protest continued.

On Saturday, 20 protesters were arrested in in front of the Hoover Municipal Center, which is located just down the road from the site of Sunday’s protests. 

Protests were held across Alabama Sunday; many in contrast, were non-violent in nature –In Gadsden around 100 people peacefully protested, gathering at 5:00pm on West Meighan Boulevard, before marching down Forrest Avenue, then along Broad Street, on their way to City Hall.  Those in attendance listened to several speakers, and afterwards, a Prayer Vigil was held in the parking lot of the Gadsden Mall.

And just across the state line in Georgia – a group of citizens took part in a peaceful protest Sunday afternoon in front of the Rome City Auditorium – David Crowder tells us more:

 

(Information provided in part by AL.COM/www.al.com and WRGA/www.wrgarome.com)

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