Fresno protest stays peaceful, attracting crowd of 3,000 in wake of George Floyd death
More than 3,000 people turned out at Fresno City Hall on a sunny Sunday afternoon, calling for racial and economic justice in the wake of the death of George Floyd during his arrest by Minneapolis police.
Hundreds gathered an hour or so before the event began, heard from a variety of guest speakers as the crowd swelled into the thousands, then marched to police headquarters for more speeches before wrapping up the day about 2 1/2 hours later back at City Hall.
It was at least the fourth major demonstration or vigil of the weekend in Fresno, where protesters have been mostly peaceful unlike the rioting and looting that has broken out in major cities such as Los Angeles and New York.
In many of those hard-hit cities, officials have blamed groups or individuals from elsewhere for the violence. In Fresno, organizers have emphasized the need to remain focused but calm.
A flier billed Sunday’s gathering as “We Can’t Breathe,” in solidarity with Minneapolis and #BlackLivesMatter. Fresno State NAACP organized the event led by D’Aungillique Jackson and Denise Rogers-Heydt, who both set up the initial Facebook page Friday afternoon.
Fresno Police Chief Andy Hall said he heard loud and clear what the demonstrators were chanting, adding “I can’t tell you how proud I am of our community” and “it was truly beautiful.”
“Our community came together,” said Hall, who earlier in the week spoke out against the Minneapolis police officers. “We did hear their words and they do have concerns and I’m going to listen and we’re going to work together.”
Hall said he assigned 250 officers to the event but there were no disturbances.
Joshua Slack, a Fresno State alumnus who resides in Los Angeles, echoed what Hall said.
“It was a very beautiful event,” Slack said. “I’m so thankful for everybody that got involved. I’m thankful how exactly we wanted it to be. We wanted to express our emotions, but also be very peaceful about it.”
The Fresno Bee captured much of the day as it happened via Facebook Live on The Bee’s Facebook page. Here is a look at some of the highlights throughout the afternoon:
4:22 p.m.: Organizers have called for an end to the rally and asked the crowd to disperse and pick up any trash they see on the ground.
Free pizza offered up, as it turns out, was from Little Caesars, and available before, during and after the rally and march. Reportedly it was paid for by the city of Fresno, with the Police Department handling the delivery. It was about 30 pizzas in all.
4:10 p.m.: Marchers were back at City Hall and organizers again reminded those who stuck around, after walking about a mile, to make use of donated bottles of water.
All remained peaceful, with no confrontations with police. Those in charge of the march also stressed that people remain together, in the street, rather than drifting away onto the sidewalks and toward businesses or other buildings.
3:55 p.m.: The crowd headed away from the police station, through Mariposa Mall and back to City Hall. Marchers were encouraged to lock arms. “No justice, no peace” again rings out.
As the names of those who died in incidents involving police across the country were shouted out, the chant turned to “Black Lives Matter.”
3:25 p.m.: Kimberly Tapscott-Munson, a Fresno County board of education trustee, told the crowd gathered near the main police station: “Fresno we will remain peaceful as a city, we will not follow other cities in chaos, but we will get justice.”
3:10 p.m.: Barricade fencing was in place in front of Fresno Police headquarters as marchers headed toward a new staging area nearby.
A line of officers spread out between the fencing and the station, but all appeared to remain peaceful. It appeared the crowd now numbered about 2,000.
3:00 p.m.: The crowd began its planned march up Fresno Street toward Fresno Police headquarters.
Marchers turned on M Street on their way to the front of the police station. The crowd remained large, many chanting “No justice, no peace.”
2:45 p.m.: Amid the coronavirus pandemic, many in the crowd were wearing face masks, as were those addressing the crowd, though they sometimes dropped them to their chin when speaking to make their voices better heard.
Signs in the crowd included: Hands up means don’t shoot; Are my babies next?; I can’t breathe; Justice for George Floyd; Black Lives Matter; The time is always right to do something right; End police brutality.
2:40 p.m.: Pizza and water were among the donated items as organizers urged those in attendance to stay hydrated amid temperatures in the low 80s.
2:35 p.m.: Organizers engaged the crowd in a callback, alternately shouting out, “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. ... We have nothing to lose but our chains.” The crowd appeared to have grown to more than 1,000.
2:30 p.m. There was little to no police presence in the immediate area of the initial rally. Two security guards were at the entrance to City Hall. Nearby, some officers on bicycle patrol quietly observed.
2:25 p.m.: “America has two viruses right now Covid 19 and white supremacy,” said Joshua Slack, one of the early speakers, “and like Covid 19 it has gone on too long.
“If you say or do nothing, you are part of the problem.”
2:13 p.m.: Music, appeals for a peaceful protest and prayer helped open the rally. “We’re not vandalizing or spray painting on walls,” Fresno State NAACP President D’Aungillique Jackson said in opening remarks. “We’re not about that.”
2:02 p.m.: As the rally got under way, an estimated 700 people were on hand.
1:50 p.m.: The crowd swelled to several hundred. People were encouraged to wear black pants and a white shirt for a unified look.
1:40 p.m.: “We’re upset, we’re angry,” Fresno State NAACP President D’Aungillique Jackson said in an interview as protesters began to gather. “Black people, we are angry in this country. We’ve been doing this, we’ve been using #BlackLivesMatter as a hashtag since 2012. There’s no reason that the deaths of black individuals have gotten progressively worse by our law enforcement as far as it being recorded instead of getting less aggressive.
“It doesn’t make sense. We’re going backward, so there needs to be change and that’s the reason why we’re all out here today. That’s the reason why people have been coming together all across the country.”
1:20 p.m.: About 75 people gathered in advance of the rally’s 2 p.m. scheduled start.
12:55 p.m.: Fresno police, who said they expected a large crowd but also had coordinated with community leaders, set up a command post at Selland Arena. Road closures included Fresno Street at R Street as well as part of Tulare Street.
12:50 p.m.: Fashion Fair mall was closed Sunday. A notice posted on the mall’s website states: “Out of an abundance of caution, and with the safety of our shoppers and retailers in mind, Fashion Fair is closed today.”
A Saturday night protest in Fresno was mostly peaceful, but did see three people arrested after multiple windows were smashed at a Les Schwab Tire Center near Blackstone and Ashlan avenues.
Elsewhere in the Central Valley, a Saturday protest in Visalia was marred when a car struck two female protests in the middle of the road. The incident is under investigation by Visalia police.
This story was originally published May 31, 2020 at 1:32 PM.
