There are 68 article(s) tagged George Floyd protests:

• September 2020

  • Memphis police adopt new excessive force reforms following Daily Memphian investigation

    But the reforms amount to a hollow ruse, says activist who complained about an officer who shot and killed a Black man in 2013.

    By Marc Perrusquia September 23, 2020

  • Strickland rolls out police reform group

    Mayor Jim Strickland rolled out a 13-member group Wednesday, Sept. 2, to make what he termed “substantive, realistic and measurable” recommendations on police reform. It's the second phase of the administration's effort and includes some critics of City Hall's response thus far.

    By Bill Dries September 02, 2020

• August 2020

  • Mistaken-identity shooting sparks protest

    Protesters gathered at a gas station in South Memphis to draw attention to the shooting a day earlier of a 17-year-old by the U.S. Marshals task force in a case of mistaken identity.

    By Yolanda Jones August 26, 2020

• July 2020

  • Protest targets fast food, law enforcement

    Strike for Black Lives protesters gathered Monday outside the McDonald’s at 2073 Union for a lunch hour demonstration in support of efforts to combat systemic racism and demand better wages and benefits for workers including in the fast food industry.

    By Yolanda Jones July 21, 2020

  • Opinion: Strickland faced a no-win situation when police met protesters outside City Hall

    Mayor Jim Strickland has been in a no-win situation with the City Hall occupation, especially being a white mayor in a predominantly African American city. And while the ending of the protest was not ideal, history shows it could have been a lot worse.

    By Robert Lee Long July 06, 2020

  • Police arrest protesters outside City Hall

    Memphis police began arresting protesters outside City Hall Wednesday morning, July 1, as they stood their ground and refused to leave.

    By Yolanda Jones July 01, 2020

  • Protesters say they won’t abandon City Hall encampment despite construction

    Memphis police Tuesday evening, June 30, told protesters who have occupied the plaza outside City Hall for more than two weeks they need to move the encampment because of construction slated to begin on the building Wednesday morning.

    By Yolanda Jones July 01, 2020

• June 2020

  • Group gathers in Germantown after resident confronts protester

    A group protested in a Germantown office park. They wanted to support an East Memphis resident who peacefully protested in the suburb over the weekend. The protester was confronted by a Germantown resident.

    By Abigail Warren June 29, 2020

  • First 12 days of protests in 12 photos

    Daily Memphian photojournalist Patrick Lantrip takes a look at the first twelve straight days of protests over the death of George Floyd through 12 photos on the one-month anniversary of the first day of protests in Memphis. 

    By Patrick Lantrip June 27, 2020

  • Gap between police power and status leads to violence

    Police in places where law enforcement has higher status have taken a knee in solidarity with citizens demonstrating in the streets. These departments have also used much less force against civilians.

    By Leah Windsor, Gina Yannitell Reinhardt June 23, 2020

  • Journalist round table with Karanja Ajanaku

    The associate publisher/executive editor of the New Tri-State Defender explains why the Black Lives Matter movement has recently gained momentum.

    By Eric Barnes June 22, 2020

  • 401 years of oppression led us to this moment

    Local nonprofit leaders who signed a call to action wanted to go beyond solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. 'Like the protesters in the streets, we knew this moment called for us to not only speak out on the policing of Blacks but to the condition of our Black communities as well.'

    By Eric Robertson June 22, 2020

  • Long-term problems drive protests, nonprofit leader says

    On The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast, Sarah Lockridge-Steckel talked about the frustrations that prompted local nonprofits to issue a call for action.

    By Bill Dries June 21, 2020

  • Strickland talks with protesters camped outside City Hall

    The encounter was the same day Strickland met for a third time with a group of religious leaders on possible police reforms. There wasn't much agreement in the discussion on the mall outside City Hall.

    By Bill Dries June 18, 2020

  • August ballot contenders and Capitol Hill rhetoric catch up to George Floyd protest

    Memphis Congressman Steve Cohen says "defunding" police isn't what Democrats want and, in endorsing Tennessee Republican Senate contender Bill Hagerty, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton says protesters were exercising Constitutional rights

    By Bill Dries June 18, 2020

  • SWAT team used tear gas after protesters threw bricks and bottles, Bonner says

    Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner said the sheriff’s office SWAT team used C.S. gas, or “tear gas,” in a May 31 protest Downtown after bricks and bottles were thrown at them as they blocked some protesters from trying to get on the Hernando DeSoto Bridge.

    By Bill Dries June 17, 2020

  • Protesters ‘occupy’ City Hall to demand police reforms

    Protesters gathered outside City Hall Tuesday as part of a 21st day of demonstrations and events that have grown out of the Minneapolis death of George Floyd at the hands of police

    By Yolanda Jones June 17, 2020

  • Protest and activism grow to include restlessness with local status quo on race

    Memphians joining the past 21 days of protests are becoming more vocal about changing the city's traditional method for dealing with racial issues.

    By Bill Dries June 16, 2020

  • Protests target restaurants, courts on 20th day

    Protests targeted the Flight Restaurant Group, juvenile court Monday in 20th day of demonstrations. 

    By Yolanda Jones June 16, 2020

  • More than 100 nonprofits say city is ‘set up’ for oppression

    The open letter issued Monday calls for police reforms and anti-poverty initiatives. It also accuses Memphis Police of an "egregious" response to peaceful protest in the city. The black-led coalition includes a diverse group of many of the city's nonprofits, from community development corporations to arts groups to housing initiative leaders as well as social justice groups.

    By Bill Dries June 15, 2020

  • What ‘Defund the police’ really means from those who use the phrase

    The call to "defund" police during three weeks of daily protests in Memphis has grown as action moves from marches to specific issues. The terms doesn't always mean the same thing to everyone, however.

    By Bill Dries June 15, 2020

  • This time, the protests inspire hope

    What makes these protests different for me is that I’ve seen how they can influence conversation and bring about change – in both Minneapolis and Memphis. 

    By Omer Yusuf June 13, 2020

  • Tear gas and COVID-19 are a disastrous combination

    We’ve recently seen proposals of bans, temporary moratoriums or limits on the use of tear gas in Seattle, Portland, New Orleans and Washington, D.C., among others. It’s time for Memphis to join that list.

    By Kellie Mitchell June 13, 2020

  • Lawsuit offers radical new narrative for the police shooting death of Brandon Webber

    A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Brandon Webber offers a radically different narrative for his officer-involved shooting that stirred wide unrest in Memphis over police use of force.

    By Marc Perrusquia June 12, 2020

  • Two Downtown events converge for peaceful Friday night march

    Two events converged Friday night, June 12, on the 17th day of local protests over the Minnesota death of George Floyd. 

    By Yolanda Jones June 12, 2020