Protesters block traffic in downtown Fort Worth; officers holding batons stand firm
Infuriated by police force in encounters with black civilians, demonstrators were involved Saturday night in a tense face-off with officers in downtown Fort Worth.
The protest was focused along the city’s Weatherford Street legal and justice corridor, where its courthouses and jail operate. Groups of Fort Worth officers assigned to the department’s special response team gathered there. Police made at least two arrests.
About 9:45 p.m., officers at East Belknap and North Grove streets said people had assembled unlawfully and would be arrested if they did not leave.
Arrests “may involve the use of force” that can cause “significant pain,” a Fort Worth police sergeant said over a megaphone.
Earlier, about 200 people gathered about 9 p.m. on Commerce Street near Interstate 35. They blocked traffic there for a time. Officers holding batons were head to head with protesters.
Patrice Jones of Fort Worth said the police had nothing to fear from the protest.
“But our skin tone is the weapon,” she said. “And that’s why they’re intimidated.”
The protest was spurred by the death this week in Minneapolis of George Floyd. A police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for eight minutes. Officer Derek Chauvin was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, The Associated Press reported. Chauvin was fired along with three other officers who were at the scene.
Beyond Floyd’s death, many protesters discussed the October death in Fort Worth of Atatiana Jefferson, a 28-year-old black woman. Jefferson was shot in her home by a white officer, Aaron Dean, who resigned. Dean was indicted on a murder charge in December.
“It’s always slow to bring justice when the victim is black or brown,” Jones said.
Organizers on the steps of the courthouse called about 10:45 p.m. for an end to the protest. They said they planned to resume their demonstration Sunday afternoon.
No property was damaged Saturday night, a police spokesman said.
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price called Jefferson’s death a tragedy in a statement Saturday afternoon.
“This is just one instance that gained national attention, but it occurs far too often in cities and towns all over America,” Price said in the statement on her Twitter page.
Price noted in her statement there are more examples of racial injustice beyond those that gain attention. And she knows “the pain for black and brown families is just as raw, real and deep,” she said.
“As Mayor, I remain committed to continuing the work we have started to root out racism, inequities and disparities at a systemic and policy level,” Price said. “But, just as importantly, I am committed to continuing the work within myself — to examine my own heart and to grow in my own understanding.”
This story was originally published May 30, 2020 at 9:47 PM with the headline "Protesters block traffic in downtown Fort Worth; officers holding batons stand firm."
