Protesters lie on street, block traffic as they march West 7th back to downtown Fort Worth
A group of people protesting police brutality lay down in the road on West 7th Street, blocking traffic in a demonstration Wednesday evening in Fort Worth.
This group of protesters had split off from the larger group that has been protesting peacefully downtown. But the demonstration on 7th Street grew as people crossed the bridge from downtown to join in.
Hundreds of people joined the protest on 7th Street. They marched toward downtown but paused a couple of times to lie down in the street.
Police were blocking vehicles from crossing the 7th Street Bridge.
The protesters were between Stayton Street and the bridge as of about 7 p.m.
The group stretched for about three blocks as they continued to march, with police blocking off businesses on both sides of the street. The protesters stopped near Henderson on 7th Street to take a knee, hold up signs and wait for those catching up behind them
One protester yelled into a megaphone that they were headed back to the Tarrant County Courthouse. “We all need to get home safely.”
A citywide curfew began at 8 p.m.
Shortly before 7:30, the marchers began crossing the bridge back toward downtown. They arrived at the Tarrant County Courthouse shortly before 8, and most of the crowd began dispersing.
.Protesters had been talking about trying to go back to West 7th after police prevented them from crossing the bridge from downtown into that area on Sunday. Police have said they stopped the marchers from crossing on Sunday night because they heard some saying they planned to damage property in the area, where many bars, restaurants and museums are located. Officers fired tear gas, smoke and flash bombs to disperse the crowd on Sunday and arrested 50 people.
Back at the courthouse Wednesday night, a speaker addressed the large crowd, saying Mayor Betsy Price needs to be voted out. “Let’s give Betsy Price a message,” he said and counted down: 3, 2, 1. The crowd booed loudly in the general direction of City Hall.
Price stopped by near the beginning of Wednesday afternoon’s march downtown, one protest organizer said. Price told the protesters she didn’t want to “make it about her” but said she understands and supports the protesters, according to the organizer.
Before many went home, protesters had a moment of silence for George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minnesota last week. The officer shown in video kneeling on Floyd’s neck for several minutes is charged with murder. The three other former officers involved in the arrest were charged Wednesday with aiding and abetting his murder.
A speaker then called for an end to the protest, telling everyone to go home, drink water and get some rest. Protesters say they will be at the city council meeting on Thursday and if the city extends the curfew, they will continue to resist it.
About 100 protesters remained near the courthouse about 8:45 p.m., with many sitting on the steps. Police in cars and on bikes were stationed a short distance away and have blocked off Weatherford Street to traffic.
This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 6:54 PM.
