Name: Police deploy pepper spray as protests over death of George Floyd spread to Columbus
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Police deploy pepper spray as protests over death of George Floyd spread to Columbus

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Jim Woodsjwoods@dispatch.comView CommentsA group of protesters was breaking windows and vandalizing and looting stores along South High Street after Columbus police officers dispersed them from Broad and High Streets late Thursday night.The estimated crowd of 400, angry over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, had a standoff with Columbus police officers, blocking the intersection of Broad and High streets for nearly three hours Thursday night.When protesters were dispersed with pepper spray around 11:20 p.m., some broke windows as they fled along South High Street and overturned trash cans on the front Statehouse lawn.There were reports of windows broken all the way to the area of the Franklin County Courthouse in the 300 block of South High Street.The DGX store, a subsidiary of Dollar General, at 166 S. High Street, was broken into and looted. There was even the report a brief fire set at the CAPA ticket office and reports of objects being thrown at the federal courthouse on Marconi Boulevard.Around Midnight, more Columbus police officers and Ohio State Highway patrolmen were called to the Downtown to help subdue the roaming vandals.The protest was frequently testy as some in the crowd hurled plastic bottles full of water at police officers, who at times would respond with volleys of pepper spray. There was even a few times that flares and smoke bombs were thrown at officers. Officers were struck by plastic bottles on at least a couple occasions.After the protesters would run from the pepper spay, they would again push back toward a line of officers. The crowd was relentless.A line of police officers, reinforced by the mounted unit and some cruisers, held the line on North High Street, just north of Broad Street starting at around 8:30 p.m. when the standoff began.Columbus police could not say how many arrests have been made.There was a report around 12:30 a.m. of an injured person in front of the Doubletree Suites on Front Street.Mayor Andrew Ginther tweeted: “I understand why some residents are angry and taking to the streets. I have said many times that racism exists across the country, state and right here in Columbus. We are committed to addressing racism wherever we see it.“I respect peaceful protests,” he continued, “and ask residents to remain peaceful in their actions tonight and every night.”The protest started peacefully earlier Thursday night. Around 8 p.m. participants went from marching around the Ohio Statehouse to assembling in the middle of the intersection at Broad and High streets to call attention to the death Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody. The crowd assembled at Broad and High at around 8:30 p.m.Alternately chanting slogans like “No Justice No Peace”, “Black Lives Matter” amd “I can’t breathe”, the protesters were expressing outrage over the death Monday of Floyd, while a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes as other officers put him in custody. Many carried homemade signs which said things like “We Stand with Minneapolis” and “Do Not Stay Silent.”Floyd became unconscious and was later pronounced dead at a hospital. after video of the incident went viral and there have been calls for murder and other charges aganst them. The official cause of Floyd’s death has not yet been determined as the county medical examiner there awaits laboratory results to complete an autopsy.A Columbus police helicopter hovered overhead at Broad and High streets early on around dusk as the protesters began gathering in the middle of the intersection.Police on the ground gave periodic warnings to the protesters that they had to disperse from the intersection and roadway or face arrest. Despite some protesters without masks shouting at police in riot gear and facial shields, police did not act on those threats for more than an hour and a half.After some full plastic water bottles and a few smoke bombs were tossed at police by a small number of protesters, police warned they would deploy pepper spray and eventually did so. Some in the crowd told those who were throwing bottles not to do so.A second, larger volley of pepper spray was deployed about 10 p.m. Much of the crowd dispersed but a core group remained in the intersection and they were rejoined by some of those who had fled earlier.Shortly after 11 p.m., with some local TV stations going live from the scene on their newscasts, some protesters again threw full water bottles at police. Officers responded with blasts of pepper spray.Participants said they heard about the protest through social media.“I didn’t know there was any way I could stay home. I had to come out and express my anger,” said Ashique Mohammad, 28, who said he learned of the protest through social media.A 28-year-old man named Noah, who would not give his last name, was wearing goggles as he was standing near the area where protesters were in a standoff with a line of police officers.“I hope I don’t need them,” Noah said about his protective eye equipment. He said he lives outside Columbus and heard about the protest from a couple of friends.Josh Mondesir, 22, lives in the LeVeque Tower and happened to see the protesters massing down the street from his residence.“As one person, you can’t do much but as a group you might make a difference,” Mondesir said.Bryan Battle, 21, of Columbus, was shooting video of the protest from the sidewalk.At one point, Battle recorded a Columbus police officer pushing back a protester who was taunting him in the face. Another officer then ran to help and deployed pepper spray.Battle said at one point an officer sprayed him in the face while he was videoing the incident, which included an officer taking a person down to the ground.Melissa Thrweatt, 53, said she didn’t agree with how the protesters were conducting themselves.“I think the way to get your point across is to respect yourself and respect others,” Thrweatt said.However, Thrweatt said it is right to protest because it was wrong how the Minneapolis police officer treated Floyd and caused his death by kneeling on his throat.A second, smaller protest was also reported Thursday night at Livingston and Lockbourne avenues on the South Side.Similar protests have been held around the country in and other cities as protesters demand justice in Floyd’s death. Some rioting and looting have occurred in the Minneapolis area and at least one auto parts store was set afire.The governor of Minnesota called out the National Guard for assistance in response to violent protesting there for a third straight night. The city’s third precinct police station was ordered evacuated after protesters overran the building.In Denver, a vehicle reportedly ran into a protester blocking a roadway as part of a protest there.Meanwhile, there are calls by Black Lives Matter and others on social media for a #BlackOutDay2020 on July 7 in which blacks and other people of color speak out against the Floyd situation and racism in general with their wallets. To show how important blacks and other people of color are to the economy, they are being asked to not spend any money that day.jwoods@dispatch.com@WoodsnightView Comments

Jim Woodsjwoods@dispatch.comView CommentsA group of protesters was breaking windows and vandalizing and looting stores along South High Street after Columbus police officers dispersed them from Broad and High Streets late Thursday night.The estimated crowd of 400, angry over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, had a standoff with Columbus police officers, blocking the intersection of Broad and High streets for nearly three hours Thursday night.When protesters were dispersed with pepper spray around 11:20 p.m., some broke windows as they fled along South High Street and overturned...

Police deploy pepper spray as protests over death of George Floyd spread to Columbus

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