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Nashville Rally Protests Police Brutality; Then Arrests, Vandalism And Confrontations With City Officers (Updated)

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Nashville police standoff
Rachel IacovoneWPLN News (File)
A woman gives an impassioned speech to Nashville officers on Saturday, May 30, during a day of demonstrations.
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A peaceful “I Will Breathe” rally, which drew thousands of people at War Memorial Plaza, eventually turned destructive as the hours wore on Saturday. Pockets of protesters smashed cars and police used tear gas to disperse some who vandalized Nashville’s City Hall. Police say the area was mostly cleared by about 10:45 p.m.

Some arrests have been made.

This story was frequently updated on Saturday to reflect live field reports and images from WPLN News journalists. This thread on Twitter is also available. 

Update at 11:35 p.m.

Nashville Mayor John Cooper has recorded a video statement, promising to keep the city safe. “This is a heartbreaking night for our great city,” he says, noting a string of recent difficulties.

Cooper is also juxtaposing tonight’s damage at the historical courthouse to the landmark 1960 moment when Civil Rights demonstrators secured a promise from then-Mayor Ben West to integrate downtown lunch counters.

Update at 11:05 p.m.

Police say downtown Nashville was “essentially cleared” by 10:45 p.m. Meanwhile, several organizers of today’s original protest have distanced themselves from the later violence. “The people now attempting to set fire to the Metro Courthouse right now are NOT associated with today’s peaceful protest rally,” the Equity Alliance tweeted.

Update at 8:55 p.m.

Nashville police say a curfew of 10 p.m. is in effect.

Update at 8:50 p.m.

Nashville Mayor John Cooper has declared a state of emergency.

Update at 8:35 p.m.

After a fire was set inside Nashville’s City Hall, law enforcement used tear gas to disperse the remaining protesters.

Nashville police say officers are escorting the fire department to the scene.

Update at 8:20 p.m.

A fire was set inside Nashville’s City Hall, and more windows are being smashed. Initial reports indicate the fire was extinguished within moments.

Update at 7:54 p.m.

Another conflict has occurred with Nashville police after they arrived at City Hall, and pepper spray was used. Additional officers have since arrived.

Update at 7:10 p.m.

Damage is also occurring at City Hall, where windows have been smashed and walls spray painted. Police have arrived.

Update at 7:00 p.m.

Demonstrators are on the move again. City police formed a line around Central Precinct, and the crowd eventually began to thin after 6:30 p.m.

The nearby Lower Broadway tourism district is the next destination.

march protest Nashville Lower BroadwaySergio Martínez-Beltrán WPLN News

Demonstrators are marching on Lower Broadway as of 7 p.m. Saturday.

On the route from Central Precinct, the crowd has crossed beneath the Music City Center and along Bridgestone Arena, where graffiti has been tagged onto the exterior walls.

 

 

Update at 6:12 p.m.

Tensions remain high at Central Precinct in Nashville, where a small portion of attendees from the day’s earlier “I Will Breathe” rally have clashed with police.

A helicopter is circling overhead and additional police officers with protective equipment arrived and formed a line just before 6 p.m. Images from the site show some were struck by thrown objects.

 

Officers on horseback have also assembled, moving onto the sidewalk and pushing back demonstrators just after 6:05 p.m.

Update at 5:28 p.m.

Demonstrators and police have come face to face outside of the department’s Central Precinct, at the corner of Korean Veterans Boulevard and 6th Avenue South in downtown Nashville.

Journalists at that site report a parked patrol car’s windows were smashed and that police handcuffed at least four people. Other demonstrators have thrown items at the building.

Update at 5:10 p.m.

Marchers have traveled about a mile thus far, including through the Lower Broadway tourism district and to the corner of Broadway and Rosa L. Parks Boulevard. After sitting in the intersection, the crowd is heading south near the Music City Center.

 

Update at 4:50 p.m.

The event has morphed into a march on Dr. M.L.K. Jr. Boulevard as of about 4:40 p.m. The change follows a brief moment of tension in the crowd, in which someone disturbed the calm and others chanted for “peace.”

Update at 4:42 p.m.

A steady stream of speakers have taken turns at a podium, where each speaks into a megaphone for amplification.

They’ve named individuals killed locally and nationwide by police, and have taken up local criminal justice, such as support for Nashville’s Community Oversight Board.

Update at 3:44 p.m.

The Nashville rally has largely filled War Memorial Plaza, with many demonstrators shoulder to shoulder.

Nashville demonstrationSamantha Max WPLN News

Thousands are gathered in downtown Nashville for the “I Will Breathe” demonstration.

Update at 3:29 p.m.

Thousands of demonstrators, chanting, carrying signs, and many in masks arrived at War Memorial Plaza near the Tennessee capitol just after 3 p.m. Saturday to participate in the “I Will Breathe” event.

Among the speakers addressing the crowd are state Rep. Harold Love, Nashville Mayor John Cooper, state Sen. Brenda Gilmore, and state Rep. Vincent Dixie.

Reported earlier:

A large gathering is expected in downtown Nashville at 3 p.m. Saturday to honor George Floyd and rally against police brutality and white supremacy.

Floyd, a black man, was killed by a white Minneapolis police officer earlier this week, sparking outrage across the country and protests in many cities. Some have turned violent.

The Nashville “I Will Breathe” rally is scheduled from 3 to 5 p.m. at Legislative Plaza. Local NAACP President Keith Caldwell, state Sen. Brenda Gilmore, and other community leaders will participate.

Nashville Mayor John Cooper tweeted Saturday that he will also be in attendance and he encouraged the Metro Council to join the event.

“This is an especially critical time for all of us, as Metro’s leaders, to show up and listen to Black voices from across Davidson County as they speak out against  the senseless killing of George Floyd and the deep-seated issues of racial injustice in our country,” Cooper said.

This story will be updated.

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