Hundreds gather at City Hall, then face police HQ, on day 8 of Kansas City protests
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in front of City Hall and police headquarters in downtown Kansas City on Friday for an eighth day of protests, calling for an end to racial injustice and for local police reform.
It is the first day that protesters have flooded downtown, following a week of demonstrations and marches in the Plaza and Westport. Streets around City Hall were closed to traffic as more than 500 people protested police brutality and listened to speakers, including U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, Mayor Quinton Lucas and some City Council members.
“We are seeing a justifiable reaction to the failure of our country to reckon with our history,” Davids said of the nationwide protests spurred by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The crowd grew as nonviolent protests carried over into the afternoon. After listening to speeches on the steps of the south side of City Hall, protesters marched to Kansas City Police Department headquarters, where they were met by several officers and National Guard troops. Many nonviolent protesters laid face-down on the ground in front of officers on Locust Street.
The group chanted, “I don’t see no riot here. Why are you in riot gear?”
They then marched to the Jackson County Courthouse, then west on 12th Street and south on Main Street. Some officers walked among the protesters while others continued to patrol the area. The presence of officers created a different scene than that on Thursday night, where during demonstrations police mostly stayed out of sight or remained in their vehicles.
Earlier on Friday, Justice Horn, a former student body president at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, discussed the group’s demands. Now that the Kansas City Police Department has received a private donation to equip its officers for the first time with body cameras, protesters said the money must be put to use immediately.
“If the cop’s on duty, the camera’s on duty,” has become a frequent chant at demonstrations in recent days. Protesters are urging police to enforce a policy requiring body cameras to be turned on at all times while an officer is on duty, otherwise they would be fired.
Demonstrators also are calling for local control of the Kansas City Police Department. Kansas City is the only city in Missouri that doesn’t have local control of its police department. Instead, the department is controlled by a board appointed by the Missouri governor. At one point in Friday’s rally, protesters faced police headquarters from across the street.
And the group is asking for all charges against nonviolent protesters — about 230 were arrested earlier this week during demonstrations — to be dismissed.
“This is not the end of our demands. It’s the beginning. This is the beginning of a movement. Hear me loud and clear everyone – if they give us an inch, we take a mile,” Horn said.
After police deployed tear gas and pepper spray during the first days of demonstrations on the Plaza, protesters have pushed for the department to implement a “de-escalation procedure.” Civil rights groups want the police department to ban the use of tear gas, knee holds and choke holds used by officers.
Tensions between officers and protesters have been diminishing during demonstrations the past couple of nights, as police have taken a more hands-off approach and engaged community leaders.
Police announced mid-afternoon Thursday that for the first time in several days all streets were back open through the Plaza. And as a couple hundred nonviolent protesters marched on the streets of the Plaza and Westport on Thursday night, officers stayed in their vehicles.
That was a change from previous nights, where officers lined up in front of protesters, wearing riot gear and demanding that everyone stay off the streets. No tear gas or pepper spray was deployed on Thursday. Officers drove in front of the crowd as protesters marched up Main Street.
While several protesters said that the demonstrations have seemingly sparked some changes, they will continue to make their demands heard.
“America is waking up again,” said state Rep. Greg Razer, who encouraged the crowd to register to vote.
Speakers and organizers urged the group to continue protesting.
“You are demanding change; you are being the change. And I encourage you never to give up your protest,” Kansas City Councilwoman Melissa Robinson said.
This story was originally published June 5, 2020 at 11:49 AM.
