Country Club Plaza to remain closed Tuesday in wake of 4 days of protests
The Country Club Plaza announced on its website that it will remain closed Tuesday after four days of protests in Kansas city against police brutality following the death of George Floyd.
When the Plaza closed at 4 p.m. Saturday because of the protests in the nearby Mill Creek Park, it had planned to reopen Monday. But after the weekend’s protests that turned violent, leading to multiple arrests and police deploying tear gas and pepper spray, it announced it would remain closed.
The Plaza made the decision to remain closed another day Tuesday after protests on Monday ended with more arrests and police using tear gas to end what had become an unlawful assembly when items were thrown at officers.
Police said Monday that more than 150 protester were arrested in Kansas City over the weekend. More than 20 people were arrested Monday, police estimated.
Vandalism from the protests have spilled over into the Plaza leading to broken windows and profanity-laced graffiti on plywood protecting windows as well as brick and stone.
Business owners in the area on Monday said it was “heartbreaking.” They said they understand the rage fueled by Floyd’s death, who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck, but they wished their businesses already reeling from COVID-19 weren’t vandalized too.
