More than 150 protesters were arrested in Kansas City over three days of unrest
More than 150 people were arrested during three days of protests that shook Kansas City and left people injured and businesses around the Country Club Plaza damaged.
Five people were arrested Friday, 83 Saturday and 63 Sunday, said Sgt. Jake Becchina, a spokesman for the Kansas City Police Department.
A dozen of those people lived more than one hour away by vehicle, the department said.
One person was arrested on a possession offense and four people were charged with stealing from businesses. The rest of the arrests were municipal charges associated with the protest.
Demonstrations were organized across the country in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. A video shows police officer Derek Chauvin putting his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes while other officers stood by. Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and was fired along with three other officers.
Floyd’s death sparked outrage, sending thousands of people into streets across the nation as they called for racial justice and police accountability.
The protest in Kansas City on Friday was largely peaceful as protesters marched for hours and chanted Floyd’s name.
Flames, graffiti and tear gas enveloped the Plaza on Saturday as the protests turned more dangerous.
Capt. David Jackson said protesters threw water bottles and rocks at officers.
Police responded by using tear gas to try to disperse the crowds. Businesses and buildings around the Plaza sustained damage, including broken windows and looting, Becchina said, and a police vehicle was burned.
Gov. Mike Parson declared a state of emergency and by early Sunday, the Missouri National Guard had arrived in Kansas City and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas had announced an 8 p.m. curfew.
Thousands gathered Sunday afternoon and hundreds remained at 8 p.m.
After a few protesters hurled water bottles towards a line of police, officers announced that the assembly was unlawful.
Moments later, crowds fled as clouds of tear gas filled the air.
For several hours, police and protesters faced off along Main Street. Police intermittently lobbed tear gas throughout the night. Protesters formed a makeshift barrier across Main and set a news van on fire.
About 20 officers were injured over the weekend, with two receiving more serious injuries that required hospitalization, Becchina said. Plaza businesses remained closed on Monday.
Lucas expressed disappointment about the course of the protests.
“The purpose of the night, of the day, of the moment is to try to address issues of community police relations, try to make sure we are looking at and addressing police brutality, try to make sure we are actually caring about black lives in our country,” he said Sunday during an evening briefing with journalists.
Destructive behavior wasn’t advancing that point, Lucas said.
“It’s not getting us anywhere,” he said.
