Detroit — After more than 60 people were arrested and one man was fatally shot overnight in Detroit, local and state officials are urging protesters to express …
Detroit — After more than 60 people were arrested and one man was fatally shot overnight in Detroit, local and state officials are urging protesters to express their views in a peaceful and respectful way.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrest II issued a statement Saturday saying communities of color across the nation and in Michigan are feeling a sense of exhaustion and desperation.
“Communities are hurting, having felt that calls for equity, justice, safety, and opportunity have gone unheard for too long,” the statement said. “We stand in solidarity with those who are seeking equitable justice for everyone in our state. We can’t live in a society and a country where our rights and our dignity are not equal for all.”
The First Amendment right to protest has never been more important but demonstrators should still be prepared to battle coronavirus, Whitmer and Gilchrist said.
“Our administration is working closely with local elected officials, public safety, and faith, and youth leaders to encourage communities across the state to designate areas for peaceful demonstrations where people can make their voices heard,” state leaders said. “There will no doubt be more tough days ahead, but we must pull together and treat our fellow Michiganders with dignity, compassion, and humanity.”
Demonstrators clashed with shielded police in downtown Detroit who responded by firing tear gas, a scene repeated throughout the country. The protests followed a peaceful march from Detroit Public Safety headquarters into Midtown, with a crowd of several thousand.
Protesters took over streets in Detroit, Pittsfield Township and others gathered nationwide were charged up over the videotaped arrest of George Floyd, who died on Memorial Day in Minneapolis after a white officer knelt on his neck for eight minutes.
Police said the majority of the people arrested were suburbanites who traveled to the city.
Detroit activist DeMeeko Williams helped organized Friday’s peaceful protest outside Detroit Public Safety headquarters on Third Street. The event drew hundreds for a speaker event and hour-long march from the police administrative downtown offices to Woodward and Warren in Midtown.
Williams said the program had wrapped up before the unrelated chaos erupted late in the evening.
“You try to make everybody open and inclusive and others will take it far and you can’t control that,” he said.
Earlier in the evening, Detroit police worked with the demonstrators, handing out protective masks and gloves, opening up parking lots and clearing the streets to “allow them to march safely,” said Williams, who condemned the disorderly acts of individuals police say mainly came from suburban communities.
