Thousands gather to remember George Floyd in peaceful Charlotte-area protests

Thousands of people gathered in the Charlotte area Thursday for marches and vigils in a seventh night of protests following the death of George Floyd.

Hundreds marched from Romare Bearden Park past boarded up windows on Tryon Street and through uptown. Outside the Government Center they stopped and knelt with their fists raised. Along the way they chanted, “Say his name – George Floyd” and “We can’t breathe.”

Earlier, more than 200 people clustered in Freedom Park. Many signed a banner intended for Floyd’s family with everything from “George mattered” to “defund the police.”

Meanwhile, an estimated 1,000 people marched against racial injustice in Fort Mill, S.C. And 500 people gathered near downtown Waxhaw, where they knelt on one knee with raised fists for nearly nine minutes, the length of time a Minneapolis police officer had his knee on Floyd’s neck.

Floyd’s death at the hands of police on May 25 has sparked protests across the country and around the world.

Hundreds packed a Minneapolis sanctuary Thursday for a memorial to George Floyd. More memorials are planned, including one Saturday in Raeford, the Hoke County city where Floyd was born.

In Freedom Park, some protesters chanted “Rise up, resist, no killer cops or jails. The whole damn system is guilty as hell.” Charlotte Uprising organizer Glo Merriweather led a session on direct action, including tips for avoiding arrest.

Uptown protests were peaceful, in contrast to earlier in the week when police used chemical agents to disperse the crowd. On Thursday police, while present, were a little less visible, with many trailing on bicycles.

Protesters wound through uptown past the Epicentre, where a giant screen flashed #GEORGEFLOYD. Somebody carried a sign that said, “God, are our cries not loud enough?”

At the county detention center, people inside flashed lights on and off, as they’ve done every night. One business on Trade Street had a table set up with water and snacks. Participants said the crowd appeared smaller than the night before, and At least one officer was seen taking a knee with the crowd.

Some people roamed through the crowd on skateboards, acting as sort of crowd marshals.

“The point of us being here is to start peace – if you’re here, you’re here for peace, love and unity,” said Tyshawn Brothers, who said he was with a group called Charlotte Main Page.

The crowd thinned toward midnight.

Earlier Thursday, federal and state lawmakers reacted to police officers’ controversial use of chemical agents to disperse crowds at Tuesday night’s uptown protest.

U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, a Charlotte Democrat, urged city officials to ban the devices.

“Charlotte leaders shouldn’t hesitate,” she wrote in a column for the Observer. “(T)hey should ban the use of chemical agents by CMPD immediately.”

Mecklenburg County’s entire legislative delegation signed a statement opposing the police department’s use of chemical agents in Tuesday night’s protests.

“Every person in our community has the constitutional right to free speech and peaceful assembly,” the bipartisan group wrote. “No agent of government – law enforcement or otherwise – can arbitrarily violate those rights. Protests should remain free from violence. When they are not, the safety of everyone … is endangered.

“While law enforcement should have the tools to reasonably and responsibly prevent lawbreaking, they must also exercise due restraint. Our community cannot tolerate excessive force.”

On Wednesday, Mayor Vi Lyles criticized the department’s use of chemical agents against a largely peaceful crowd of protesters. The city asked the State Bureau of Investigation to review the police actions.

Charlotte protests, though mainly peaceful, have resulted in destroyed property and more than 100 arrests. Standoffs between police and demonstrators have grown far more tense.

Lyles and City Council plan to hold their second “community conversation” at 5:30 p.m. Friday outside the Government Center on 4th Street.

This story was originally published June 4, 2020 at 6:53 PM.