DALLAS – WBAP/KLIF – A protest of the treatment of America’s African Americans at the hands of police departments in Minneapolis and nationwide began in Dallas Saturday afternoon with a crowd estimated at 700 by Dallas police turned more violent with dozens of arrests by dinnertime. A peaceful demonstration against abuse began to turn when some protesters were seen jumping on occupied Dallas police cars, smashing windows, and painting graffiti. These actions followed a peaceful protest Friday night in downtown Dallas that also turned violent toward the end, with windows of businesses downtown smashed and a CVS drugstore looted among possible others. More widespread damage was done in several areas of Dallas through Saturday night.
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson says the Dallas Police Department will request a city curfew for Sunday evening or a later date if it believes that will help quell the unrest. Johnson says if DPD asks for a curfew, city officials are likely to order the curfew.
Protesters are decrying the videotaped death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd, who repeatedly managed to tell an officer with his knee pinched on top of Floyd’s neck he could not breathe. Now fired, charged and jailed, former officer Derek Chauvin maintained his knee on Floyd’s neck for almost 9 minutes, and for several minutes after Floyd became non-responsive. Floyd was declared dead at an area hospital, but reports indicate a paramedic stated he was non responsive and did not have a pulse when they arrived at the scene. Video from onlookers at the scene shows Floyd was held on the street and asked questions about a report he’d tried to pass a counterfeit 20 dollar bill in Minneapolis. As an officer tried to put a handcuffed Floyd into a squad car, and Floyd reportedly told him he suffered from claustrophobia, the incident took a more dangerous turn as Floyd was placed on the ground on his stomach or side while handcuffed. Officer Derek Chauvin is identified as the man who then pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for almost 9 minutes as Floyd repeatedly choked out the words “I can’t breathe”. Bystanders heard on the videotape begged Chauvin to release the hold on Floyd; neither he nor other officers right at Floyd’s side appeared to take Floyd’s or their pleas seriously enough to provoke at least a visible change in the hold.
Floyd’s death, involving once again the words “I can’t breathe” follow several other high profile deaths of African Americans uttering those words to police officers nationwide for several years. A nation weary of Covid 19 lockdown and just beginning to emerge with a lingering sense of fright concerning the deadly virus appears to have unleashed pent up frustration, anger, and rage against police officers increasingly videotaped unleashing intense or deadly force against some suspects, many or most African American. The activists and protesters assert the deadly force is unreasonable and amounts to murder in case after case.
President Trump is coming under criticism again for his tweets, including one that stated, in part, “when the looting starts, the shooting starts”. Many are believed to have taken that as a challenge to their intent to protest.
Governor Greg Abbott has called for help from the National Guard; one of 13 states doing so now, and dispatched 1500 state police officers to Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio, where protesters also rioted and or blocked highways on Saturday at different times. Damage and looting is reported in multiple locations in city after city where protests have turned into riots or lawful, peaceful protests have been joined by those with a more aggressive agenda or actions.
Saturday afternoon, Dallas Police asked residents not to leave their homes Saturday night, amidst the protests, unless there was a critical need.
Photo courtesy WFAA-TV.
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