A Weekend Of Protests Across The Midlands

Store owners in the Vista spent Sunday cleaning up from the rioting on Saturday, where restaurants and shops just recently reopened after being shut down because of the coronavirus.

Hundreds turned out Saturday for what began as peaceful protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck, but spiraled into vandalism and violence throughout the evening. City leaders held very productive & fruitful discussions with activists throughout the day Sunday.

The cause is just. It’s time for communities to keep pushing & advocating for systemic reforms to our justice system.

Mayor Steve Benjamin aims to keep the dialogue going, but “doing so peacefully is essential.” His comments came after a unanimous emergency ordinance calling for a curfew in downtown boundaries, Five Points and the Vista. The move allowed authorities to cool the protests for a much more peaceful messaging on Sunday.