George Floyd protests in Michigan
Hundreds of protesters gathered on the central square of the University of Michigan on May 30, with a series of activists and community members using a megaphone to speak about racial injustice and police violence.[1] These protests were related to an event in neighboring Ypsilanti on May 26, in which a police officer had been filmed punching a local woman and then taking her into custody, where she was held for several days.Bad Axe police chief David Rothe and Huron County sheriff Kelly Hanson were seen marching alongside the protesters.[17] On June 28, two protestors were violently thrown from a Detroit Police Department SUV that they had climbed on top of, and its rear window was also smashed in.Gladwin County Sheriff Mike Shea spoke in support of the event's organizers, but criticized the growing negative view of cops.[24] That same day, Grand Rapids police chief Eric Payne spoke to protesters stating "I've heard you my entire career.[25] Mayor of Grand Rapids Rosalynn Bliss enforced a 7pm-5am curfew for the city beginning that day until June 2, calling for support from the Michigan National Guard.[29] On June 3, hundreds of demonstrators of all ages and races marched across the Portage Lake Lift Bridge in Houghton while chanting "No justice, no peace", "Black Lives Matter", and "Say his name, George Floyd" in protest of police brutality.[38] Assistant Chief Vernon Coakley Jr. and City Manager Jim Ritsema spoke with protesters for about forty minutes after the curfew, attempting to have them march away from the site with no success.[38] Tear gas was then deployed and the protest dispersed, with Coakley later stating that he "felt awful" for firing chemical agents upon a peaceful demonstration.[38] On August 15, members of the right-wing group Proud Boys clashed with counter-protesters in Kalamazoo, with police carrying out nine arrests, including a local newspaper reporter, who was later released without facing charges.[39] The city's Police Chief Karianne Thomas said of the protest, "The Proud Boys came to town and completed their mission by creating a decisive situation for the community then leaving, hopefully with the chaos continuing, which is their mode of operation".On June 1, community members (including hundreds of students and faculty at Central Michigan University) participated in a peaceful protest.On June 9, hundreds of protesters (estimates range from 500 to 1000) marched from the Washtenaw County's sheriff office in Pittsfield Township to the Arborland shopping center to demand justice for George Floyd and for Sha'Teina Grady El, a woman from nearby Ypsilanti Township that was caught on camera being hit 3 times by a deputy during an arrest the previous month.[62] Prior to arriving at Arborland, the demonstrators stopped at the intersection of Washtenaw Avenue and Carpenter Road to kneel and chant "Say his name, George Floyd", "Breonna Taylor", and "No justice, no peace" as part of a march to emphatically denounce police brutality.Hundreds of demonstrators showed up outside of the Municipal Office Complex on June 5 to protest the murder of George Floyd, racial injustice, and police brutality.[63] On May 31, protesters began a 72-hour occupation of the area outside the Saginaw Police Department in a demonstration called "Stand with the Ghost of George Floyd."[64] On June 2, the demonstrators marched from Hoyt Park to the Saginaw County Governmental Center building, blocking the Court Street Bridge in the process.[68] The protest started with a nine-second moment of silence to commemorate the nine minutes that Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin spent murdering George Floyd by kneeling on his neck.[70] The organizers of the march addressed the crowd, imploring them to vote in the upcoming 2020 presidential election and to continue the momentum of the George Floyd protests as well as the Black Lives Matter movement as a whole.[71] The mayor of Troy, Ethan Baker, stated the police department's use of force, training, hiring and community relations will be reviewed to determine if any policy changes would be necessary.[86] Governor of Michigan Gretchen Whitmer released a statement on June 1, writing "To those who have taken to the streets to peacefully protest the structural inequities Black Americans face every day – I’m with you.
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