Over the weekend, hundreds of people in Chattanooga protested, advocated for racial equality, and paid tribute to George Floyd — an unarmed black man who died after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck during an arrest last week.
The four officers at the scene of the arrest were all fired, and Chauvin has been criminally charged with third-degree murder + manslaughter.
Chattanooga protests
○ On Saturday + Sunday, hundreds of Chattanoogans marched and chanted, expressing anger and fatigue about ongoing racial tensions in the country.
○ On both nights, some protestors clashed with law enforcement.
○ Sunday afternoon, hundreds of people gathered in Coolidge Park, holding signs and chanting “No justice, no peace.” Black organizers also shared their experiences of what it’s like to interact with law enforcement, as a black person.
○ Also on Sunday, another group of protestors marched to Mayor Andy Berke’s house and drew body outlines outside his residence. Berke has said he has no plans to implement a curfew, as some other cities have done.
○ Later Sunday night, the Chattanooga Police Department, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, and the National Guard responded to the scene of a protest at the downtown courthouse. Authorities deployed tear gas at least once when protestors took to the stairs of the courthouse.
○ Law enforcement arrested about 20 people over the weekend. Some damage was done around the courthouse, including light fixtures and a statue, according to the sheriff’s office.
More information
The Chattanooga Times Free Press has a recap online here and you can watch WRCB’s newscast about the events here with more video here.
NewsChannel 9 has video and testimony from people arrested and hit with tear gas here, plus info from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office here.
WDEF also has coverage from Saturday and Sunday.
Monday afternoon Berke made a statement about the weekend’s events. Channel 9 has that here.
Also on Monday afternoon, Hamilton Place Mall closed early, and CPD had its role call there because of “possible protests” planned there, according to Latricia Thomas from NewsChannel 9.
Share your voice
Now, we want to know what questions you have about the protests or paths forward for the city. What do you want to know? What information can we provide? How can we best utilize our platform to facilitate and elevate meaningful dialogue? You can share your thoughts and questions here.
We’d also love to hear your perspective, especially if you’re a black community member, via our Voices platform, where we turn the mic over to you – our diverse and vibrant community – to share your take on how our community can better facilitate conversations on these important topics.