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George Floyd protests in Virginia
Part of George Floyd protests
Demonstration in Charlottesville, Virginia on May 30, 2020.
DateMay 28 – August 16, 2020 [1] [2]
(2 months, 2 weeks and 5 days)
Location
Virginia, United States
Caused by
Casualties
Death(s)1
Injuries150
Arrested500–600
Cities in Virginia in which a protest with about 100 or more participants was held ()

This is a list of George Floyd protests in Virginia. Following the murder of George Floyd by a police officer, protests spread from Minneapolis to other parts of the United States, including Virginia. Protests broke out in Richmond on the night of May 28 and spread to over 50 other cities over the following days.

List of protests in Virginia

Central Virginia

Demonstration in Charlottesville, Virginia on May 30
  • Appomattox: On June 4, locals participated in a prayer vigil calling for peaceful unity and healing of racial tensions. [5]
  • Ashland: On June 3, demonstrators gathered at the Ashland Town Hall and then marched to the police station. [6]
  • Bedford: On June 6, about 100 protesters gathered at Washington Street Baptist Church and marched to the Bedford County Courthouse. [7]
  • Bowling Green: On June 7, local pastors organized a prayer rally in front of the Caroline County Courthouse. [8]
  • Charlottesville: About 15 people demonstrated with signs on University Avenue on May 29. [9] On Saturday, a large crowd of nearly a thousand flooded the streets near the police station, briefly blocking an intersection during a #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd event. [10] [11] [12]
  • Lakeside: On June 7, Harry H. Rogers, a 36-year-old leader of the Ku Klux Klan, drove a truck into a group of protestors, injuring at least one. [13] [14] Rogers was arrested, charged with "attempted malicious wounding, felony vandalism, and assault and battery", and was held without bond. [13] In 2021, he was sentenced to 44 months in prison. [15]
  • Lawrenceville: On June 2, about 125 protesters marched from Saint Paul's College to Courthouse Square. [16]
  • Lynchburg: About 100 people gathered for a Black Lives Matter protest outside the Lynchburg Community Market on May 30. [17] On June 1, two Lynchburg officers were hospitalized after being assaulted by a crowd of rioters that evening. [18]
  • Richmond:

Shenandoah Valley

  • Covington: On June 5, protesters gathered in downtown Covington. [19]
  • Front Royal: On June 5, approximately 1,200 protesters gathered at Bing Crosby Stadium. The organizers claimed that it was the largest protest to ever happen in Front Royal. [20]
  • Harrisonburg: On May 29, over 300 people gathered to protest in Court Square. The protesters broke out into chants, and at one point knelt like Colin Kaepernick's police brutality protests. [21] There was a rally in Court Square Friday, May 28, with a follow-up rally scheduled for Friday June 5 at 5:30 with a prayer and rally at 6:00. There was a silent march on Monday June 1 at 6:00 that drew over 1,000 protesters calling for an end to police brutality and systemic racism. The March began at Liberty Park and proceeded down Liberty St. before turning onto Main St. and returning to Liberty Park without incident other than a woman attempting to drive through the protesters as they crossed an intersection. She was stopped. No one was injured, and the march proceeded without even slowing down.[ citation needed]
  • Lexington: On June 3, a protest in downtown Lexington drew hundreds of participants. [22]
  • Orange: On June 4, hundred of protesters marched along Madison Road from the Orange Village Shopping Center to the Courthouse on Main Street. [23]
  • Staunton: On May 30, about 150 protesters marched to the Augusta County Courthouse where a "Justice for George Floyd" rally was held. Speakers included the granddaughter of a KKK member. [24]
  • Waynesboro: On June 3, about 150 protesters gathered outside of the Thomas Gorsuch Municipal Building. [25]
A protest in Staunton on May 30
  • Winchester: On May 31, peaceful protests were being held in Winchester that marched through the streets, ending in a scene at Picadilly Circle. Protesters were chanting "I Can't Breathe" while marching through the streets, and finally with "Black Lives Matter" while at the end point of Picadilly. Police were seen directing traffic around and away from the protestors in an attempt to keep the public safe. [26]

Southwest Virginia

Northern Virginia

A protest march in Manassas on June 6
  • Manassas: On May 30, several hundred protesters gathered around the area of Sudley Road and Sudley Manor Drive. [58] State and local police arrived and shortly thereafter declared the gathering an unlawful assembly. [58] Up to two officers received minor injuries. [59] State Delegate Lee J. Carter, who represents part of the area in the Virginia's House of Delegates, attended the protest. Delegate Carter was hit with pepper spray and multiple flashbang grenades after identifying himself to the police. [58] [60]
  • Stafford: A rally was held in the parking lot of the Stafford Marketplace on May 31. Stafford School Board member Emily Young addressed the crowd. [61]
  • Sterling: On June 6, thousands of protesters gathered at Algonkian Regional Park. [62]
  • Vienna: On June 3, hundreds of protestors gathered on Chain Bridge Road in Vienna for two separate protests, one designated for people at-risk or who had concerns about coronavirus, and a second protest later in the day for those who were less concerned, but they were also encouraged to wear face masks and take proper precautions for the virus. The protests remained peaceful and the Vienna Chief of Police attended both rallies. [63]
  • Warrenton: Peaceful protests were carried out in Warrenton on May 30 and 31. [50]

Eastern Shore

  • Accomac: On June 6, hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the courthouse and marched to the library. [64]
  • Chincoteague: On June 3, protesters gathered in Donald J. Leonard Park. [65]
  • Exmore: On June 6, approximately 150 protesters gathered in a local park. [66]

Tidewater Region

  • Chesapeake: On June 5, hundreds of protesters marched around City Park, where a moment of silence was held for eight minutes and forty-six seconds, and along Greenbrier Parkway to support Black Lives Matter. [67]
  • Hampton: On May 29, a standoff between police and protesters on West Mercury Boulevard ended with four arrests. [68] Hundreds of protesters took over major roads and bridges in the area on May 31 for the third day of protests. [69] [70]
  • Norfolk: On June 2, more than 100 protesters marched from Granby Street to the Confederate monument on Main Street. [71]
  • Petersburg: On May 30, approximately 30 protesters gathered near East Bank Street and Second Street. [72]
  • Poquoson: On June 5, protesters gathered in front of the Poquoson Police Department. [73]
  • Suffolk: On June 1, more than 140 protesters gathered at a north Suffolk shopping center. [74]
  • Virginia Beach: On May 31, a protest in Virginia Beach started out peacefully, but ended in violence and vandalism as protesters smashed windows and looted shops on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. At least 48 businesses sustained around $300,000 worth of damage. Police sprayed tear gas on protesters and made 19 arrests. [75] On June 1, a protest in Town Center was peaceful, with no injuries or property damage being reported, although 26 more arrests were made by police. [76] On June 2, a rally and prayer vigil organized by Virginia Beach Interdenominational Ministers Conference was held at Mount Trashmore Park. [77] On June 5, 75 protesters marched north on Interstate 95, stopping all traffic. Protesters resisted orders from police in the Express Lanes to move out of traffic due to being an unlawful assembly, but dispersed once officers started making arrests. [78]
  • Williamsburg: On May 31, hundreds of protesters gathered at the Williamsburg-James City County courthouse. [79]

See also

References

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