Demonstrators in Little Rock protested police violence against black Americans for a fourth-straight night Tuesday with a march winding from the state Capitol to the Governor's Mansion and back into downtown.
They marched in defiance of Mayor Frank Scott Jr.'s 8 p.m. curfew and a state of emergency declaration by the governor that accompanied a heavy police presence.
[Gallery not loading above? Click here for more photos » arkansasonline.com/63lrprotest/]
The demonstrations were peaceful for many hours, even while a crowd chanting "No justice, no peace," faced off against troopers outside of the Governor's Mansion. There were no signs of vandalism. But as a large group of protesters re-entered downtown near the county courthouse around 10:30 p.m., a few water bottles were thrown at a state police vehicle that moved slowly through the crowd.
Police converged near the Broadway Bridge on foot and in vehicles, and the crowd dispersed. Police began detaining protesters and a handful of media members, including Arkansas Democrat-Gazette deputy online editor Josh Snyder, who was later released.
Unlike previous nights of protest, there were no signs of tear gas being deployed to disperse crowds.
Also unlike the previous demonstrations in Little Rock, this time the crowd did not remain at the Capitol late into the night. Instead, protesters left, crossed the bridge over Interstate 630 and walked through dark neighborhoods to the Governor's Mansion, with a few residents watching the crowd pass from their doorways and stoops.
Earlier Tuesday, Little Rock police arrested 28 demonstrators who had blocked an intersection in downtown Little Rock for much of the afternoon.
In 80-degree temperatures, the demonstrators stood in two lines on the crosswalks of Broadway and West Third Street. Some carried signs in the shape of headstones that named victims of police killings.
In an interview on a street corner, Joshua Dunlap, 29, said that although demonstrators originally were out to protest the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, there has been a lot more injustice before that. Floyd, an unarmed black man, died in Minneapolis at the hands of white police officer Derek Chauvin.
"We're just really here for everybody and all black men," Dunlap said. "And yes, all lives matter, but black lives are the one that's being taken."
[Video not showing up above? Click here to watch » https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4I96EtzNFg]
Demonstrators remained peaceful when Little Rock police from a tactical unit arrived wearing helmets and carrying riot shields. The police warned protesters sitting and lying in a row in the crosswalk that if they did not leave, they would be arrested.
One by one, officers led and carried people away from the crosswalk and ziptied their hands. One man who approached the line of police and appeared to be taking photos or video was quickly grabbed. He yelled that he was a journalist as officers carried him away.
After the demonstrators in the street had been arrested, police left while the other protesters and onlookers stayed on the sidewalk.
"I can say I respect the Little Rock police officers because they did their job, they did their duty," said Stephanie Brown, 39. "And they didn't cause any harm, they just did their job."
Brown, who was watching from the sidewalk as the demonstrators were arrested, said she supports the individuals who showed up to protest.
She explained that "getting the message across is very important because our men, black men -- even though all lives matter -- our men, black men are being targeted."
OUTSIDE INFLUENCES
Scott and Police Chief Keith Humphrey announced the 8 p.m. curfew at a Tuesday afternoon news conference.
The mayor said the decision to extend the curfew was made because of additional intelligence that the city received that day. A statement that the mayor made Monday when instituting a 10 p.m. curfew cited information provided by Cody Hiland, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, according to the mayor's statement.
Humphrey said the department had received information about credible threats against the lives of government officials in Central Arkansas.
The chief said that though individuals who were arrested Monday night were from Central Arkansas, there were others who were not arrested or detained who "came from the outside." He said that included people from all over the country coming into the city by all modes of transportation.
"There are ... sanctioned organizations, that actually this is what they do. They have people on their payrolls, and they send them out to different locations. If you pay attention to the news, there are times that you may see the same person, they might be in Little Rock today, they may be in Minnesota, in Minneapolis tomorrow," Humphrey said. "What do they look like? They look like everybody."
Scott also said there were outsiders who were organized instigators.
"They're professional outside sources. They know exactly what to do to instigate violence and project a reaction from the Little Rock Police Department and all law enforcement and not get caught, and so when you have that type of issue it's alarming and quite frankly it is abusing peaceful protesters and putting them in harm's way," the mayor said.
Humphrey said police Monday night recorded 10 incidents of property damage, one assault and made one arrest. The individual arrested was Sean Williams, a 29-year-old man who police said stole an ATM near West Capitol Avenue and Broadway.
Arkansas State Police arrested three people related to the protests Monday, according to spokesman Bill Sadler.
A trooper pulled over Bryan Brown, 53, of North Little Rock just after 11 p.m. at Woodlane Avenue and Sixth Street, and noticed he had bloodshot, watery eyes and asked him to exit the vehicle, according to an arrest report.
Brown refused, and officers dragged him out and arrested him, the report said.
Brown was taken to the Pulaski County jail where is charged with misdemeanor refusal to submit to a chemical test, misdemeanor public intoxication, misdemeanor failure to obey officers, misdemeanor open container in a vehicle, misdemeanor disorderly conduct, misdemeanor resisting arrest and misdemeanor drinking in public.
State police also arrested Alexander Dodson, 37, and Austin Ebner, 31, on disorderly conduct charges at Capitol and Woodlane Avenue about 11 p.m.
Humphrey addressed the arrests during the protest Tuesday afternoon at West Third Street and Broadway. He said he talked with protesters, who refused to move, and they were arrested for blocking a major city street.
"We made it very clear that we agree with their First Amendment rights, but all at the same time, you can't interfere with the free passage of others," he said.
STAYED TOO LONG
Scott, who was at Monday night's demonstration and left after some demonstrators began throwing bottles at him, said he chose to attend the protest after a two-hour lunch meeting with two organizers, who stressed that they were peaceful though other individuals were not, and they requested that he attend.
"They felt that my presence would help defuse things, in addition to the curfew. They felt my presence would help start a healing process for those members of the community that are impacted by this crisis that we're seeing across the nation," he said.
As the protest went on and the curfew approached, Scott said his heart overtook his mind, and he stayed despite recommendations from law enforcement that he leave.
"I'm still a black man, and I do understand the pain and the suffering and the voices of those that believe to be unheard, and I honestly got caught up in the moment, because I too hurt. I'm agonizing," he said.
Turning the protest into a march was not intentional, according to the mayor. Scott said he shared the information from law enforcement with three or four female protesters nearby, then hugged them and told them it was time to go. They linked arms and began to march east on Capitol Avenue. That was not planned, Scott said.
"In leadership, you share when you make a mistake. It took over my mind, and it is what it is, and I apologize for that," he said. "I should have left a little earlier."
Humphrey said the protest splintered into different groups. Several people in the crowd became unruly and began throwing water bottles at the mayor, who then left quickly.
Scott said he will not be attending further protests. He emphasized that the city supports peaceful protests and urged people to respect the curfew.
Until Tuesday, the protests in Little Rock have followed a pattern, according to one group of protesters: things are calm throughout the day, then when the sun goes down other individuals show up and incite chaos.
Monday night, they said, was worse than previous nights.
Authorities tear gassed the group's medical tent, organizers Natalie James and Shanelle Smith said, which contained substances -- including water, milk and baking soda -- that were meant to aid protesters after being exposed to tear gas. James said she believes the gassing was triggered by someone who was not part of the group and who was acting disorderly outside the tent.
Little Rock officials have maintained that members of the Police Department did not use tear gas. Other agencies that have been present during the past few days' events include the State Capitol Police and Arkansas State Police.
EMERGENCY DECLARATION
On Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Asa Hutchinson declared a state of emergency in response to protests across Arkansas. The declaration established a unified command involving the Arkansas State Police, local law enforcement agencies, the state Department of Emergency Management and the Arkansas National Guard.
A statement from Katie Beck, the governor's director of communications, said the declaration was a "normal executive order issued when the National Guard is activated under state control in regard to civil disturbance."
Humphrey said the Police Department planned to enforce the 8 p.m. curfew with warnings and hoped that police actions to impose the curfew would not have to go beyond that.
Sarah Ashley and Zaria McClinton, two of the protesters who marched with the mayor, said they quickly went from shouting for peace and unity with linked arms to running from a mob.
"I'm still trying to process it, literally running for my life," Ashley said. "Police were with us, and then they disappeared. The mayor was out there with the mob by himself."
McClinton said it was disheartening to experience fear and tear gas after remaining nonviolent.
"I was a little hurt with everything because we showed them that peaceful protesting can get us far," she said.
Damage from Monday night was significant around downtown. The Arkansas Pharmacists Association building on South Victory Street, was damaged in each of the first two nights of protest. It was partially burned Monday night, though the outer structure remains intact.
[DOCUMENT: State of emergency executive order » arkansasonline.com/63order/]
An annex to the building, which had windows broken out, was boarded up with plywood Tuesday morning, and a pair of artists spent the day creating a "health and wellness" themed mural on the outside of the building. Murals depicting Floyd and other victims of police violence were also placed over the shattered windows of the nearby Democratic Party of Arkansas headquarters, which was damaged Sunday night.
On the Capitol lawn, a memorial to the state's Confederate soldiers was splashed with blue paint Monday night.
Little Rock police were investigating damage along Capitol Avenue, including to the Bank OZK building at 325 W. Capitol Ave., Humphrey said. The bank entrance was smashed sometime when demonstrators marched along the street. Police spokesman Lt. Michael Ford said the department is still compiling information about the damage and will release information as it becomes available.
Tony Holt, a reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, was recovering Tuesday after being injured during protests Monday night.
Holt said he was taking pictures of property damage at the Bank OZK on Capitol Avenue when a small group of people began to gather around him. He said he started down the street in hopes of defusing the situation, but the group followed him.
"I remember someone grabbed my reporter notebook, then sprinted away," Holt said. "When I turned around they would stop, but I didn't want to face them because I didn't want the situation to escalate. Then I got struck by something, but I don't remember what."
Holt tweeted out after the incident that he "just got struck," but he said Tuesday that he had no memory of sending the post or taking the photo. He said the next thing he remembers was a "Good Samaritan" walking him to an officer with the Little Rock Police Department.
"I didn't get the guy's name, but he must have literally gave me the shirt off his back because I was using his shirt to wipe the blood off my face," Holt said.
Holt was taken by ambulance to UAMS Medical Center, where he was treated late Monday night. He said he has a broken nose, a swollen left eye and a concussion, but he was in good spirits Tuesday afternoon.
"I got a swollen eye, and it hurts when I sneeze, but I am not in any pain," he said. "I plan to be back on Monday."
Scott said at the news conference that he supports the free press and he was praying for a swift recovery for Holt. He also mentioned KATV reporter Shelby Rose, who was pushed during live coverage Sunday night.
"In times like these, they too are endangered," Scott said.
A spokeswoman said Tuesday that UAMS Medical Center's emergency department had seen "a couple" of visitors with injuries related to the demonstrations over the weekend, but didn't immediately have details about those patients.
CHI St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock had seen no such patients as of early Tuesday evening.
Information for this article was contributed by John Moritz, Stephen Simpson and Kat Stromquist of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Metro on 06/03/2020