A peaceful protest that began Sunday afternoon in downtown Spokane’s Riverfront Park turned into a disturbance that turned destructive.
More than two thousand people gathered to protest the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Police say it began as a respectful and peaceful gathering. A few officers briefly dropped to their knees in solidarity with the protestors.
But, in a short late night video briefing with reporters, Mayor Nadine Woodward said the tenor changed at the end of the event.
“What we’re seeing after all of that, post 5 or 6 o’clock tonight, is not Spokane. This is not who we are. These are people who stay behind or who are only here to cause trouble. We are seeing our downtown businesses’ windows broken. We are seeing looting at several businesses and we are seeing individuals who refuse police orders to disperse," Woodward said.
The mayor declared a curfew until 5 am this [Monday] morning due to give people a chance to go home and cool off.
The gathering moved from Riverfront Park into a march across the Monroe Street Bridge to the courthouse. It came back downtown and that’s where things became tense. Police shot tear gas canisters toward some of the protestors, trying to disperse the crowd. No offficial word yet about arrests or injuries.
Spokane County officials announced the county campus will be closed Monday. Commissioner Al French issued a statement, calling the violence of the evening “an opportunistic disruption conducted by anti-government elements which include ANTIFA and other groups.”
The county says French and Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich have contacted Governor Inslee’s office to ask for help from the National Guard.
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In a three-part tweet from the City of Spokane, issued around 8:40 Sunday evening, the city said protestors who gathered Sunday afternoon “did so respectfully and peacefully. A second, separate group has become aggressive downtown after the local protest largely ended.” The city asked people who gathered to watch the interaction between police and protestors to go home. It then said Mayor Nadine Woodward enacted a curfew in the area bounded by Fifth Avenue to Boone, Division to Maple “in order to disperse people and give everyone a chance to cool down.”
Spokane mayor declares curfew until 5 am Monday morning due to downtown disturbances.
In a three-part tweet from the City of Spokane, issued around 8:40 Sunday evening, the city said protestors who gathered Sunday afternoon “did so respectfully and peacefully. A second, separate group has become aggressive downtown after the local protest largely ended.” The city asked people who gathered to watch the interaction between police and protestors to go home. It then said Mayor Nadine Woodward enacted a curfew in the area bounded by Fifth Avenue to Boone, Division to Maple “in order to disperse people and give everyone a chance to cool down.”