PHOTO BY MIKE DUNN
CAN WE BREATHE?
Orlando erupts in protest, mirroring the rest of the country, as citizens demand an end to police brutality BY MATTHEW MOY E R A N D DAV E P LOT KI N
I
n the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis by ex-police officer Derek Chauvin, emotional anti-racism protests erupted across the United States – and around the world – and that included Central Florida. Protests began in earnest in Orlando late last Thursday night in Windermere, when news spread that Chauvin owned a house in the neighborhood and had possibly fled there to escape prosecution or worse. Dozens of protesters gathered in front of the house for a peaceful demonstration that went overnight and well into the next afternoon. By late Friday morning, Orange County law enforcement stated that Chauvin
was still in Minneapolis, where he had finally been arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The other officers on the scene with Chauvin as he knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes, who did not intercede as Floyd gasped and cried out that he could not breathe, have still not been fired or charged with any crimes as of Monday morning. As Saturday dawned, protests and marches were held in cities large and small throughout the state. Some cities, like Jacksonville and Tallahassee, saw protests disrupted by violence and confrontations with police all too eager to break out the tear gas.
There were several concurrent protests in Orlando on Saturday – one originated yet again in Windermere, and several groups of protesters had made their way to downtown Orlando by Saturday afternoon. A large crowd of protesters marched through downtown to City Hall, while another group gathered in front of OPD headquarters for a protest that lasted late into the night. Another crowd of protesters gathered Saturday evening, as rain clouds loomed overhead, first blocking Orange Blossom Trail and then State Road 408. Orlando police used tear gas to disperse those gathered. Pepper spray was also used on CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
orlandoweekly.com
●
JUNE 3-9, 2020 ● ORLANDO WEEKLY
7
