About 300 people at Plaza protest in Kansas City, one person led away by police
About 300 people showed up near the Country Club Plaza to protest police brutality and the death of George Floyd Friday, Kansas City police estimated.
The protest looked to be peaceful as the demonstration continued into the evening hours, said Capt. David Jackson, a Kansas City police spokesman. One person was led away from the crowd at one point, but police said no arrests have been made.
Hundreds of people had gathered by the J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain to protest the death of Floyd, who died while in police custody in Minneapolis on Memorial Day. Kansas City joined other major cities, including St. Louis, that held protests of their own earlier this week.
Protesters in Kansas City held signs sharing messages such as “Black Lives Matter,” “Stop the Violence,” “I can’t breathe” and “End police brutality.”
Many chanted “No lives matter until black lives matter” and “What’s his name? George Floyd,” while cars driving by honked in support.
Jackson said 75 police officers were at the planned protest, and officers remained there Friday evening.
At times, some protesters turned their attention to nearby police officers, telling them to go away. The rally then spilled into the street, where police officers warned protesters that they would be sprayed with pepper spray if they did not move onto the sidewalk.
A line of officers stood on J.C. Nichols Parkway and police vehicles blocked the streets. Some moved back onto the street as chants continued. The area was shut down to traffic.
Jackson said it’s “difficult” and “frustrating” for officers who were being yelled at by protesters at times. “But these are professionals,” he said. “We encourage them to maintain their composure.”
“They (protesters) seem to be pretty passionate about their cause. right now, they’re speaking about that and we’re encouraging them to do so. That’s what we’d like to continue seeing throughout the night,” Jackson said.
The protest continued and the intersection of J.C. Nicholas Parkway and 47th Street remained blocked off Friday night. Some police officers were seen wearing helmets. Graffiti was seen on the side of a bank at 47th and Wyandotte streets.
Outrage poured out across the country after video was released showing the moments leading up to Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. Protests have gone forward this week in Minneapolis and St. Paul as well as other major cities including Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Phoenix, Denver, Memphis, St. Louis and now Kansas City.
Derek Chauvin, 44, the Minneapolis police officer seen on video kneeling on Floyd’s neck, was arrested on third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges Friday. He is accused in court papers of ignoring another officer who was worried about the handcuffed black man who died after pleading that he could not breathe, according to the Associated Press.
This story was originally published May 29, 2020 at 8:56 PM.
