FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The ‘Justice for George Floyd’ protest is scheduled for Tuesday (June 2) from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on the Downtown Fayetteville Square.
Event host, Alejandro Victorino created a Facebook event page for the protest, and as of 11 a.m. Tuesday, 590 people have responded as ‘going’ and 845 have responded as ‘interested.’
Victorino wrote this as the event details on Facebook, “This will be a PEACEFUL protest against police brutality and systematic racism in our country and judicial system. Please wear your everyday clothing, signs are appreciated. All attending should also wear face masks and adhere to all social distancing standards due to the threat of Covid-19. PLEASE DO NOT attend if you plan on bringing firearms or if you plan on participating in riots or otherwise violent acts and confrontations with authorities and businesses."
On Monday (June 1) the City of Fayetteville issued a news release with a statement regarding local protests:
“The City of Fayetteville joins cities across the nation who are horrified by the death of George Floyd, who was killed last week by a Minneapolis, Minnesota police officer. The City extends its deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Floyd as well as to the Minneapolis community he called home.
Several protest events took place in Fayetteville late last week and over the weekend in response to the police officer’s act of excessive force that killed Mr. Floyd. While most participants engaged in peaceful protests and demonstrations, some exhibited behaviors that created unsafe conditions for themselves and others. These included standing in streets, stopping moving vehicles, and engaging in person-to-person confrontation. Additionally, some participants did not practice social distancing or wear face coverings to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Mayor Jordan encourages all residents to take COVID-19 precautions, including when attending demonstrations and protest events. As COVID-19 cases continue to climb across Northwest Arkansas, practicing social distancing and wearing face coverings remain important, common-sense measures everyone can take against unnecessary community spread."
In response to the protest events held in Fayetteville, Mayor Lioneld Jordan issued the following statement:
“Part of what makes Fayetteville unique is how engaged our community is on local, state, national, and global events. I love this city, and I love all our people. I’m proud to live in a town that welcomes voices of all kinds, from many different backgrounds. Our residents are protesting Mr. Floyd’s horrifying and inexcusable death through peaceful demonstrations and dialogue. I appreciate our community’s participation in this dialogue, though I am troubled by a report of one event that began peacefully but escalated in a way that is neither typical of our community nor representative of the spirit of Fayetteville. I am also concerned about the lack of COVID-19 precautions being taken by some attendees at these events.
Fayetteville is a compassionate city. Fayetteville is a welcoming city. Violence has no place in our community. If you participate in demonstrations, I encourage you to do so peacefully and not let violent factions derail your cause or your message.”
