Breonna Taylor protesters in Louisville smash windows & throw flare into LIBRARY, defying curfew day after cops are shot (VIDEOS)
Scores of protesters took to the streets of Louisville, ignoring the nighttime curfew a day after two police officers were shot amid unrest sparked by the charges in the Breonna Taylor case. A library was damaged in the mayhem.
Dozens of protesters hit the streets of Louisville on Thursday evening, paying little attention to the city’s 9pm curfew and squaring off with police.
March pushes back a line of cop cars at 2nd as they move to east Broadway and down 3rd pic.twitter.com/FOQemr3rYX
— Rae Hodge (@RaeHodge) September 25, 2020
Shortly before the curfew set in, police declared an “unlawful assembly,” saying that protesters were smashing windows on 4th Street.
This is the scene in Louisville right now18 minutes past curfew protesters are holding their spot and leading some chants against the killing of #BreonnaTaylor and police have started to form lines on the streets around the protest. Helicopters are hovering overhead pic.twitter.com/IvrmSYlEfR
— Julio-César Chávez (@JulioCesrChavez) September 25, 2020
Police did not report which buildings caught the activists’ wrath, but photos on social media show that windows had been shattered at the Main Library, located on 4th Street.
Someone apparently attempted to set fire to the building, hurling a road flare inside the hall.
Someone broke the library door glass and threw a flare inside. #Louisvillepic.twitter.com/jJN1zWqcOW
— Rae Hodge (@RaeHodge) September 25, 2020
Other footage showed rioters vandalizing a local business, apparently a seafood eatery, with sticks.
Businesses being targeted in downtown Louisville tonight #Louisville#LouisvilleProtests#BreonnaTaylorpic.twitter.com/rEFL0WOjU9
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) September 25, 2020
As the police moved in to make arrests, activists flocked to the 1st Unitarian Church, which is exempted from the citywide curfew, and then huddled inside its churchyard, serving as an improvised sanctuary.
With just a minute to curfew, the protesters made it to a church sanctuary downtown, where there is supposed to be an exemption for them to stay out later #Louisville#LouisvilleProtests#BreonnaTaylorpic.twitter.com/IcRXB5k883
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) September 25, 2020
At one point, it came to a verbal back-and-forth between a black protester and a group of white people. The protester was caught on the video shouting: “Get the f**k out here, get the f**k out all you white motherf**kers! I will beat your ass, get the f**k out here.”
It’s unclear what preceded the confrontation, and if the man and those he implored to leave were from the same group.
White people have just been threatened with assault and kicked out of the church sanctuary grounds. Almost all press were demanded to leave as well #Louisville#LouisvilleProtests#BreonnaTaylorpic.twitter.com/NK1cJVnBU8
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) September 25, 2020
Earlier on Thursday, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer extended the curfew through the weekend, after two police officers were shot as they were responding to the protests on Wednesday.
Also on rt.com Conservative news outlet threatening to sue Louisville police after two reporters arrested & charged covering BLM protestsThe commander of the Louisville police department's special operations division, Maj. Aubrey Gregory, suffered a gunshot wound to this hip and has been released from the hospital. Officer Robinson Desroches took a bullet to his abdomen and is now recovering post-surgery.
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