George Floyd protests in Kentucky

This is a list of George Floyd protests in Kentucky, United States. Throughout Kentucky there have been protests since May 28, 2020 in reaction to the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and David McAtee by police. The demonstrations have happened daily in the largest cities in Kentucky, including Louisville and Lexington.[3][4] Many of the smaller cities had protests on at least one day.[5]

George Floyd protests in Kentucky
Part of George Floyd protests
DateMay 28, 2020 – present (8 months, 1 week and 4 days)
Location
Kentucky, United States
Caused by
StatusOngoing
Casualties
Death(s)2

Locations

Bowling Green

People protested outside the Bowling Green Police Department the evening of May 29.[6] During the protest, a 24-year-old man hit a protester with his pickup truck and was arrested;[6] police stated that he "had plenty of room... to avoid hitting protesters," and that when they asked if his vehicle had hit the protester, the man replied, "Probably so, there were protesters blocking the fucking road, they deserved to be hit, anyone would."[6] He was arrested, charged with wanton endangerment in the first degree (a felony in Kentucky), and taken to Warren County Regional Jail.[6][7]

Corbin

About 140 people attended a peaceful protest on June 4, with some hecklers calling the group "race traitors" and displaying the Confederate flag.[8]

Covington

Dozens attended an "uneventful" protest happened on May 31. City officials enacted a curfew.[9]

Elsmere

On June 6, hundreds of protesters walked for two miles along Dixie Highway to the Elsmere Police Department to support George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.[10]

Hopkinsville

On June 6, over 200 people gathered for a peaceful rally in Virginia Park, where a group of speakers addressed inequalities and called for change.[11]

Lexington

On May 31, several hundred protesters gathered downtown for the third night in a row. At one point late Sunday, dozens of officers "took a knee" with protesters who were chanting "Kneel with us! Kneel with us!"[12] On June 5, the sixth day of protests in downtown Lexington, members of the Kentucky football team, wearing Black Lives Matter T-shirts and led by their head coach, Mark Stoops marched to demand racial justice and equality.[13] On June 7, a fight occurred at the intersection of East Maxwell and South Limestone when a white male passenger got out of an Uber vehicle and confronted protesters.[14] On June 12, Students, faculty, and staff from the University of Kentucky Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Health Sciences, Public Health and Social Work all got on one knee in remembrance of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmad Arbery and to show support to end systemic racism.[15]

On July 11, at a protest rally calling for police accountability and an end to systemic racism, five anti-racism protesters were arrested by the Lexington Police Department (LPD).[16] The event was co-organized by the United Campus Workers of Kentucky, Movement for Black Lives UK, and Cooperation Lexington. The rally was thus composed of UK campus workers, including UK faculty and staff, UK students, and Lexington community organizers and activists. The event proceeded according to plan until officers of the LPD confronted participants upon their entering the street to march in protest and threatened them with arrest. This was the first time the LPD had criminalized this form of non-violent protest.[17] After being threatened with arrest, rally participants proceeded to march and protest on the sidewalk and in designated crosswalks as the LPD instructed them to do. Yet LPD officers waited and watched until a Black woman participant crossed the street at a crosswalk when the signal said not to cross, though there was no oncoming traffic.[18] The officers arrested the participant in the crosswalk, along with three of the main organizers of the event. They forcefully arrested a fifth participant after he came in between an officer and one of the Black woman organizers being arrested. The arrest allegedly involved the use of a chokehold on the participant, something the LPD denies despite cell phone camera footage of the arrest showing an officer bringing the participant to the ground with the officer's arm wrapped around the participant's neck.[18] On July 21, the Lexington branch of the NAACP released a press release condemning the actions of the LPD officers, accusing them of "unprofessionally and illegally retaliating" against the leaders of the protest.[19]

Louisville

On May 28, protesters demanded justice for the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor. Some 500 to 600 demonstrators marched through the city that evening.[20] Later during the protest, seven people were shot by an unknown shooter or shooters, with one victim critically injured.[21]

During the night of May 29, more protests took place, attended by hundreds of people. A woman suffered a heart attack as a result of tear gas inhalation, and two journalists were injured by rubber bullets fired by police officers.[22]

On May 30, the governor called in the National Guard.[23] African-American David McAtee was shot and killed by law enforcement just after midnight June 1. Officials said that the Louisville Metro Police Department and Kentucky National Guard were returning fire after being fired at from the crowd.[24][25] Mayor Greg Fischer stated that Louisville police officers were wearing body cameras, but none of them were on.[26] Fischer called this an "institutional failure,"[lower-alpha 1] stating that "[t]his is the entire reason we have those cameras," and fired Steve Conrad, chief of police, effective immediately.[26]

On the 12th day of protests, current and former Public Defenders marched through downtown chanting "no justice, no peace" to protest racial injustice in criminal justice system.[27]

On June 27, a shooting occurred at a protest at Jefferson Square Park in downtown Louisville.[28] A 27-year-old photographer who supported the protests against racism and police brutality was killed.[28] Another person was injured.[28] Overnight camping at the park was banned after the shooting, and police removed tents from the park.[28] One suspect was arrested, interviewed by homicide detectives, and charged with murder and wanton endangerment.[29] The suspect was hospitalized as he was wounded by gunfire from civilians defending themselves.[29]

During a protest, the hand of a statue of King Louis XVI, who Louisville was named after, was broke off by a protester.

Morehead

On June 6, a crowd of about 250 people marched down Main Street and gathered at Fountain Park in Morehead in a peaceful protest. The speakers told their stories and allies spoke of the need for allies to support blacks in the community.[8]

Owensboro

On June 5, a crowd of protesters gathered for a "Peace and Reconciliation Rally" at Smothers Park. Over 20 speakers spoke out against the killing of George Floyd.[30]

Paducah

On May 31, peaceful protesters gathered at Noble Park in a 'Stand for Solidarity',[31][32] and a die in for over 8 minutes at the local court house over the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.[33]

Pikeville

On June 1, peaceful protesters gathered at the Pikeville City Park for a peaceful rally. The event was organized by the Black Student Union at University of Pikeville along with other community leaders.[34]

References
  1. Robertson, Nicky (May 30, 2020). "US surgeon general says "there is no easy prescription to heal our nation"". CNN. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  2. Goldberg, Michelle (May 29, 2020). "Opinion - America Is a Tinderbox". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 30, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  3. Krauth, Lucas Aulbach, Ben Tobin, Emma Austin, Sarah Ladd, Cameron Teague Robinson and Olivia. "LIVE UPDATES: Protesters gather in downtown Louisville for 22nd-straight night". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  4. Chisenhall, Jeremy (2020-06-18). "'Frustrated and angry.' Protesters decry racist remarks made to Lexington council". Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  5. Kenning, Chris (2020-06-11). "Kentucky is embracing the Black Lives Matter protests". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  6. Jarrett, Brandon. "UPDATE: Woman struck by truck during Black Lives Matter protest in Bowling Green". www.wbko.com.
  7. "Wanton Endangerment Law and Legal Definition". USLegal, Inc. November 3, 2017. Archived from the original on November 3, 2017.
  8. Moomey, Liz; Estep, Bill (June 8, 2020). "From Corbin to Morehead, Black Lives Matter protests gain support in rural Kentucky towns". Lexington Herald Leader. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  9. "Photos: Protest Outside Covington Police Headquarters". The River City News. May 31, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  10. "Hundreds march on Dixie Highway". The Cincinnati Enquirer. June 7, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  11. Claussen, Joshua (June 6, 2020). "'I Can't Breathe' Rally Brings Hopkinsville Together". WKDZ-FM. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  12. Eads, Musgrave and Chisenhall (May 31, 2020). "On third night, protesters march, chant, kneel and pray with Lexington police". Lexington Herald Leader.
  13. Clay, John (June 6, 2020). "As Stoops showed, this is not a time for coaches to just stick to sports". Lexington Herald Leader. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  14. Ward, Karla; Eads, Morgan (June 7, 2020). "Updated: Uber driver says protesters never touched car before passenger exited, threw punch". Lexington Herald Leader. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  15. Jones, Chelsea (June 12, 2020). "UK Health Colleges hold event to unite against racial injustice". Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  16. https://www.wtvq.com/2020/07/11/watch-5-arrested-during-black-lives-matter-protest-police-say/
  17. https://www.wkyt.com/2020/07/12/five-protesters-arrested-during-saturdays-demonstration-in-downtown-lexington/
  18. https://www.kentucky.com/article244178542.html
  19. https://www.kentucky.com/article244373297.html
  20. "7 shot at Louisville protest over fatal police shooting". Associated Press. May 29, 2020. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  21. Baker, Mike (May 29, 2020). "7 People Shot at Louisville Protest Over the Death of Breonna Taylor". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  22. "Protesters clash with police after former officer is charged in George Floyd's death". May 30, 2020. Archived from the original on May 30, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  23. Jones, Sheena (May 30, 2020). "Kentucky governor has called on the National Guard to help keep the peace in Louisville". CNN. Archived from the original on May 30, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  24. Green, Marcus (June 1, 2020). "Beshear urges swift release of videos showing fatal police/National Guard shooting of Louisville man". WDRB.com. Retrieved June 3, 2020. The shooting came amid the fourth day of protests over the police killing of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency room technician and former EMT.
  25. "George Floyd protests: Man 'shot dead by police' in Louisville, local reports say". The Independent. June 1, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  26. "LMPD: No body cameras activated during shooting death of David McAtee". WLKY. June 1, 2020.
  27. "Public defenders march against racial bias as Louisville protests hit 12-day mark". WLKY. 2020-06-09. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  28. https://www.dw.com/en/us-deadly-shooting-at-black-lives-matter-protest-in-louisville-kentucky/a-53968689
  29. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/suspect-in-custody-after-man-shot-dead-during-breonna-taylor-protest-in-kentucky/
  30. Miller, Bethany (June 5, 2020). "Owensboro holds Peace and Reconciliation Rally on Fri". WFIE. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  31. Adeyemo, Abisola (May 31, 2020). "'Stand for Solidarity' protesters share anti-racist message in Paducah". WPSD. WPSD Local 6.
  32. Brines, Jonathan. "Hundreds rally, march in Paducah". WSILTV. WSIL News 3. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  33. Kane, Jack. "Protesters demonstrate at McCracken County Courthouse". WPSD Local 6. WPSD Local 6. Retrieved Jun 3, 2020.
  34. "Many gather in Pikeville to rally for 'public grief'". WYMT-TV. June 1, 2020. Retrieved September 26, 2020.

    Notes
    1. It is unclear if these were Mayor Fischer's exact words, but this was the wording used in the source article.[26]
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