FAYETTEVILLE — There were a few tense moments but an overall peaceful demonstration wrapped up late into the night at the downtown square.
Hundreds of people began walking around the square after the ceremonial portion of Monday’s event wrapped, chanting and holding signs. The event was in dedication of Black Lives Matter and mourning the death of George Floyd, who was killed May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer held his knee to Floyd’s neck for several minutes.
After 9 p.m., people began to gather in clusters at different corners of the square, having passionate discussions.
A group of people gathered on Center Street west of Block Avenue. A car played music while people danced. At one point, someone threw a firework that caused people to scatter. After a few moments, they came back. People cleared a circle and someone shot off a few more fireworks, with cheers coming from the crowd.
Watch video of the demonstration here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U60jg8gbTa8
Police officers stood in the parking lot just south of Center Street, east of Church Avenue. A few water bottles were thrown, with a few smaller objects that were difficult to discern. There were egg shells on the ground in the area.
A resident, Jason Fisher, took a microphone connected to a speaker that someone brought and addressed the crowd. People periodically cheered. People moved up Center Street and Block Avenue where another group of officers were standing. About 11 p.m., demonstrators chanted, “Kneel with us,” and cheered when the officers took a knee.
The crowd moved west of the Old Post Office and addressed another group of officers, who also took a knee.
A brief scuffle took place at Mountain Street and Block Avenue just before 11:30 p.m. Sgt. Anthony Murphy said someone in the crowd sprayed pepper spray. At least one person got sprayed in the face, but there appeared to be no other injuries.
About 11:30 p.m., Fisher had taken the microphone again. He spoke to the crowd and a line of officers on Mountain Street.
“You serve all the people,” Fisher said to applause.
Fisher handed the microphone to Cpl. William Dawson, who asked to shake the hand of a vocal demonstrator.
“I appreciate you all coming out here tonight,” he said.
Officers raised their fists in the air and joined the crowd in a chant of “black lives matter.”
About midnight, a youth appeared to fall down from dehydration as people tried to give her water. Officers picked her up and carried her where Central EMS could treat her.
After the event waned down, Fisher said he hadn’t planned to speak to the crowd, but it was something he’s wanted to do for a long time.
“I’ve always been one of those types of people where I’m not going to pussyfoot the truth. That’s why nothing has been fixed, because there’s so much pussyfooting,” he said. “Nobody’s trying to dig to the real source, the real roots of the problem. It gave me the mind frame to speak to these people.”
Murphy said about 1 a.m. he was unaware of any arrests that happened because of the demonstration.
10 p.m. Tuesday night: Thousands of people gathered peacefully Tuesday night during a "Justice For George Floyd/Black Lives Matter" protest on the downtown square.
The protest came one night after police used tear gas to disperse a crowd in downtown Bentonville.
Police in Northwest Arkansas, in Little Rock and cities across the country have been dealing with protests and some violence since the May 25 death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt with his knee on Floyd's neck for several minutes after he was detained. The officer, Derek Chauvin, was later fired and has been arrested in connection with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Three other officers were also fired in connection with the incident.
The Fayetteville gathering was promoted as "a peaceful protest against police brutality and systematic racism in our country and judicial system," according to a Facebook post by Alejandro Victorino of Fayetteville. The post said signs were appreciated but asked that no one bring firearms and that people who "plan on participating in riots or otherwise violent acts and confrontations with authorities and businesses" not attend the protest.
The crowd was loud, but orderly, with speakers reminding everyone of the reasons for the gathering and leading the way in songs and chants. Several times speakers urged anyone who wasn't supportive of their calls for justice to leave rather than disrupt the event.
People in the crowd offered many reasons for attending including attacking racism in our society and calling for reforms in the justice system, in education and in government.
Taylor Myers of Fayetteville arrived early, crafting a piece of sidewalk chalk art on the east side of the square.
"This is something I really wanted to put out for everyone," Myers said. "I wanted to make something just as beautiful as the moment is and to try to keep it that way."
Scarlet Moon, an artist living in Fayetteville, said she had her son in mind as she waited for the event to begin.
"I have a son who's going to grow up in this world," Moon said. "I would hate to see a world and have to bring him up in a world where prejudice against people of color is a thing, or police brutality is a thing. Hopefully, if we push this, things will change. It won't happen unless we continue to push. You can't give up."
Police Chief Mike Reynolds said Tuesday afternoon his officers planned to stand in solidarity with demonstrators. The department hosted a gathering of about 30 residents Monday evening outside the station, making hot dogs available to those in attendance.
Reynolds said after the event was officially called to a close he was impressed with the size and demeanor of the gathering. He estimated the crowd at 2,500 to 3,000 people.
"This is the biggest event I've ever seen on the square," Reynolds said.
Reynolds spoke briefly to the crowd, saying the Fayetteville Police Department is "committed to standing in solidarity" with everyone in the community.
"I have to denounce what happened in Minnesota," Reynolds said. "The Fayetteville Police Department will not condone standing on a man's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds,"
In concluding the event, Victorino asked everyone to kneel in silence for eight minutes and the crowd complied.
When the time was up he asked, "Was that too long?"
"It was too long for Mr. Floyd," Victorino said.
As he was asking the crowd to disperse, Victorino asked them to do so peacefully and to keep those eight minutes in mind.
"If the world can see that we can do this maybe they'll take this small town of Fayetteville, Ark., as an example," he said. "Don't let those eight minutes go in vain."
About 8 p.m., Victorino and others urged the crowd to march around the square and then disperse. Most did but a smaller crowd assembled on the north side of the square and continued to chant and cheer as darkness fell.
Tuesday night's City Council meeting was moved to Thursday to accommodate the demonstration, according to a city news release.
All items on the agenda will be moved to Thursday's meeting at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will be held via Zoom, as meetings have been since mid-March because of the covid-19 pandemic.
A majority of the council requested the meeting be postponed because of the planned protest. The meeting and event would have overlapped in timing, creating a conflict for anyone wanting to attend both. Mayor Lioneld Jordan made the decision Tuesday afternoon.
State of emergency
Gov. Asa Hutchinson declared a state of emergency Tuesday evening in response to the continuing protests in Little Rock and elsewhere in the state and authorized the Arkansas State Police to operate as a “Unified Command” together with Sheriff’s offices and police departments “to protect civil rights, and ensure public safety.”
“Recent assemblies and protests occurring in the State of Arkansas have been overtaken by destructive and violent individuals, creating conditions of distress for the citizens and businesses of the state,” Hutchinson said in the declaration.
“The rule of law must be maintained for the protection of citizens and businesses from violence and damage” the declaration said. “There is a need to take protective actions to protect lives and property of citizens being currently impacted by this emergency.”
Source: State of Arkansas
NW News on 06/03/2020