Rain ends protest at Capitol ahead of Little Rock's curfew

Protesters sit on the steps of the state Capitol in Little Rock at about 8:30 p.m. Friday, June 5, 2020. The city had set a 10 p.m. curfew for Friday, two hours later than the 8 p.m. curfew from the previous nights.
Protesters sit on the steps of the state Capitol in Little Rock at about 8:30 p.m. Friday, June 5, 2020. The city had set a 10 p.m. curfew for Friday, two hours later than the 8 p.m. curfew from the previous nights.

Only two protesters and a handful of police remained at the state Capitol at 9:15 p.m. Friday after incoming inclement weather prompted much of the crowd to leave before the city's 10 p.m. curfew took effect.

The seventh consecutive night of Little Rock protests over police treatment of black Americans remained entirely peaceful throughout.

Earlier in the night, around 6:15 p.m., a person was shot less than a mile away from the Capitol protest, Little Rock police said. Authorities said the victim of that shooting later died.

9:07 p.m.: As inclement weather moves in, crowd on Capitol steps shrinks

With inclement weather rolling in about 8:30 p.m., several people began to leave the state Capitol steps. The group, which had been over 100 in number, shrank to about 20 people by 8:45 p.m.

The demonstration had shifted away from chants, focused more on discussion about issues in the community among the group.

8:06 p.m.: Individuals address crowd, drones hover over Capitol grounds

Protesters at the state Capitol on Friday night listened to Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” played from a portable speaker during a break between individuals addressing the crowd.

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Three drones hovered over the Capitol grounds, with the one lowest to the ground making a loud, distracting buzz. It wasn’t clear whether the drones were part of a law enforcement agency’s efforts to monitor the demonstration, or whether they belonged to a news organization gathering footage, or even if they were operated by hobbyists.

As on previous nights, at least one officer in a National Guard uniform could be seen standing on the top floor of the Winthrop Rockefeller building across the street from the Capitol.

7:08 p.m.: Protesters gather at Capitol for seventh straight night of protests

About 75 people convened on the steps of the Capitol in Little Rock shortly before 7 p.m. Friday despite scattered thunderstorms moving through the area, part of the continuing demonstrations in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

When a speaker with a megaphone asked Friday how many people were attending their first protest, about half of the group raised their hands.

The speaker, who declined to be identified, told the group that she has learned that protest causes inconvenience. She referred to the recent protest on Broadway and West Third Streets, when more than two dozen people were arrested for blocking traffic. It was inconvenient for the officers to stand out in the heat and, in some cases, physically carry away demonstrators who were lying in the road, the speaker explained.

David Timmer, 33, a deputy sheriff with the Pulaski County sheriff’s office, then addressed the crowd. He started by giving the protesters his badge number.

Timmer, who is white, told the crowd that it was his day off and he was expressing his First Amendment right by standing with them.

He described feeling outraged at the video of Floyd’s death and overjoyed at the news that all four officers who detained Floyd have been charged in connection to his death.

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