Old Market boarded up window
Yeah this protest didn't end well. The police got the protestors boxed into an area without them really noticing/caring. Box was 2 layers, first was a close layer and then at the end of each street was a physical barrier to funnel them into a tighter spot with more cops manning those barriers.
The police warned everyone to leave, some did. Cops moved in and the people ran back from the main police line to scatter, found out there were boxed in, and panicked. The protestors grouped back up the line and were quite tense. Arrests started and then stuff calmed for a moment because of these super chill religious dudes and very nice bald police to get the other cops to let some of them out who were clearly done with this. Some got out and then it started to mob that exit point which got it closed. Panick ensured again. As the panic increased some people got pepper balled trying to climb fences.
While people were leaving one cop turned around unloaded pepper balls into the people leaving. Not clear why he did this but the press, the religious dudes, and the other cops were definitely like "what the literal fuck." This further panicked the remaining people further while arrests started to ramp up. This is when they told some of the photographers and other bystanders to get out.
This is where I peaced out. I wasn't down for this. They had people leave along a boxed in route lined with barricades and cops. Every so often a car would pull up and arrest a couple more people or they'd get picked up at one of the barricades. Very long walk back to my car. They arrested people the whole way after you turned the first corner. Route took us north over to Farnam from 12th and Howard. Then for me it was a zigzag south west over to Leavenworth and then back down to 14th. I think I was on 16 when I finally hit Leavenworth? Not sure on that.
Was not a good time. As awful as this was I am glad it didn't go much worse.
If anyone else was there that could confirm the order of events I would be very appreciative. It was a stressful and confusing time once it got going.
Photos of Old Market getting ready for a presumed riot for the killing of James Scurlock by Jake Gardner.
Pictures of the largely well ordered protest. Sure there a few bits of mischief that was quickly stopped and corrected like one guy knock a traffic cone over. Protest went around in a big marching loop at time around Old Market. Police would direct people away from certain streets to keep it relatively contained and the protestors obliged.
This bald cop was pretty, chill, and polite. He was the main interaction for protestors and police. Based on how chill the guy was I have to imagine he feels bad about how it ended. I would be interested to know.
I really like this guy’s shirt.
It really was just a pretty nice chill time until the end. I mean everyone who stayed knew they were going to get arrested. That’s how these things work but the pepper balling felt unnecessary. I have no idea if these two got out before it went. I would hope/assume so.
This is also the start of the box. If you look closely at the pictures you can see the line has moved up and have started to block them from the intersection. The line will move up in a bit.
Another really nice and chill guy. He, another guy, and the bald cop were the ones that got some of the protestors out of the trap.
Besides the that front line in the above pictures there were multiple lines beyond it in layers blocking all escape routes.
One last round of good interactions between some of the the cops, guardsman and protestors.
Curfew approaches along with more police. A fair number of protestors leave peacefully around this time.
Police letting people out after the first round of panic.
People trying to climb the fence to escape and getting pepperballed during the second round of panic.
Arrests starting. Would be interested in knowing who she shot for if she was essentially there to document like me. I don’t have anymore pictures after this because this is when the rest of us start getting told to leave.
