COLORADO SPRINGS — Protesters in Colorado Springs and dozens of other cities around the country are calling for justice in the death of George Floyd, who died after he was pinned at the neck by a Minneapolis police officer. Follow Monday’s protests here.
11:30 p.m.
Officers drove police vehicles up Nevada Avenue in an attempt to push protesters to the north. Some protesters set off fireworks, and others began throwing objects toward police.
Police deployed tear gas on protestors at the intersection of Cimarron and Nevada. The protesters left the area when the tear gas was deployed.
11 p.m.
Around 11 p.m., an officer was handed a megaphone and told the crowd “Crimes have been committed. I’m asking you–it’s time to leave.” Officers made this announcement multiple times. Our reporters estimated at least 200 people were still outside the Police Operations Center.
9 p.m.
8:47 p.m.
The protest started moving downtown.
8 p.m.
FOX21 News crews believe about 300 people have made their way over to the Police Operations Center at North Nevada Avenue and Rio Grande Street in Colorado Springs. Tensions are high, in keeping with the pattern of the last several nights. Police officers are appealing to the crowd through a loud speaker.
7 p.m.
Protesters began marching as rain began to fall Monday evening. Hundreds of people flooded streets in the downtown area of Colorado Springs, waving signs, chanting, and blocking traffic as they made their way down Tejon Street.
5 p.m.
FOX21 News spokes with an organizer of this week’s protests. He says he’s happy to see peaceful conversations occur between protesters and officers.
4 p.m.
The group has moved away from its post at the POC and headed back over to City Hall, which has served as a sort of base point for the last several days.
3 p.m.
By 3 p.m. on Monday, a group of protesters had made its way back over to the Police Operations Center at Nevada Avenue and Rio Grande Street. That’s where, last night, tensions rose between protesters and officers. Crowds were asking officers to show solidarity and join them in taking a knee for the Black Lives Matter movement.
12 p.m.
The group has resumed its daytime spot, on the steps of City Hall, at E Kiowa Street and N Nevada Avenue. Around noon, they were settled into place, sitting together with their arms raised. A few Colorado Springs police officers could be seen among them.
A short time into the day’s event, a small group of protesters interacted peacefully with several officers. At the end of their discussion, the officers dropped down to a knee, alongside the group of men, in a show of solidarity.
6 a.m.
Sunday’s protests in downtown Colorado Springs began around 10 a.m. and stretched into the afternoon. Around 4 p.m., organizers used a bullhorn to tell the crowd the protest had concluded for the day, and another protest would begin at 10 a.m. Monday.
>> FOX21 coverage of Sunday’s protests
>> Photos from Sunday’s protests
As evening approached, officers began to place barriers around the Police Operations Center downtown. A group of protesters marched back and forth between the Police Operations Center and City Hall, ending up at the Police Operations Center around 9:30 p.m. The protesters stood in a stalemate with a line of officers in riot gear until around 12:30 a.m. That’s when a loud bang sounded in the crowd, and people started scrambling.
FOX21 News crews watched officers handcuff at least two people. Protesters, running from officers, told our crews police deployed tear gas and fired rubber bullets. Others say officers used non-chemical smoke canisters. The group largely dispersed by close to 1 a.m.
This story will be updated throughout the day.
