George Floyd protests in Richmond, Virginia
Humberto Cardounel Mark Herring David R. Hines Jeffrey S. Katz Ralph Northam Anthony S. Pike Levar Stoney William C. Smith John Venuti Richmond, Virginia, experienced a series of riots in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.[20][21][22] On the evening of May 30 into the early morning hours of May 31, several hundred protesters organized around the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University and marched down Monument Avenue.Subsequently, rioters tagged the Robert E. Lee Monument with various slogans, including "Black Lives Matter", "Lynch Trump", "All Cops Are Bastards", and "Fuck Capitalism".[30] Around 7:20 p.m., about forty minutes prior to curfew, Richmond police tear gassed a group of about 500 or 600 protestors that had gathered near the Stuart and Lee monuments.[31] Drone footage showed the police standing in a diamond formation, with two officers in the center throwing or firing the first tear gas canisters.[32] This posture and formation of officers indicated that this was a premeditated action,[31] and not a response to being separated from their group as initially tweeted by the police department.On June 20, in The Fan neighborhood nearby, protesters tore down the First Virginia Regiment Monument, a statue commemorating Revolutionary War veterans.Mayor Stoney and Police Chief Gerald Smith jointly announced that white supremacists had been acting as agents provocateurs, "marching under the banner of Black Lives Matter, an attempt to undermine an otherwise overwhelmingly peaceful movement."[62][63] Throughout August, more efforts were made by the Richmond Police Department and the mayor's office to quell the ongoing protests and riots, which had been occurring for nearly two months.On August 7, the Police Department actively disassembled camping area around the Lee Monument site, citing complaints from nearby residents.[64] On August 11, the unofficial historic markers were removed by city officials, and the RPD upped its efforts to prevent overnight camping on the site.[65] On August 13, the ongoing protests joined with student activist groups at nearby Virginia Commonwealth University to defund or abolish the VCU Police Department.On June 1, 2020, the Richmond, Virginia chapter of Our Revolution called for Stoney and Chief William C. Smith to resign in regards to their handling of the protests.[72] Several statewide politicians, including Jennifer McClellan and Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, condemned the use of the Richmond Police's use of tear gas on civilians.[73][clarification needed] On June 3, 2020, Stoney announced his intention to introduce an ordinance to remove the Confederate statues on Monument Avenue.[75] Reva Trammell, who represents the 8th district in the city stated that "while many citizens support putting the Confederate statues in a museum, some oppose it."[75] On June 16, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam said he did not support the protesters demands to defund state police, and offered additional reforms instead, which was met with widespread criticism.[77] On June 23, 2020, rapper and Virginia native Trey Songz called for Stoney to resign due to his appointment of Jody Blackwell as interim Police Chief.After the protesting and riots for George Floyd, Stoney's administration left the monuments vandalized or destroyed (such as the statue of Christopher Columbus erected by Richmond's Italian-American community).
George Floyd protests in VirginiaBlack Lives MatterRobert E. Lee MonumentRichmond, VirginiaMurder of George FloydWhite SupremacyPolice brutality in the United StatesConfederate monumentsRichmond Police DepartmentLevar StoneyRichmond PoliceCivil resistanceVandalismDemonstrationsInternet activismRiotingSilent protestsSocial mediaMonument AvenueJacksonStuartRichmond Police MemorialColumbusHowitzerWickhamUnited Daughters of the ConfederacyDSA RichmondIndustrial Workers of the WorldOur Revolution RVAFood Not BombsGovernment of Richmond, VirginiaChesterfield PoliceHanover County SheriffHenrico PoliceVCU PoliceVirginia Capitol PoliceVirginia National GuardVirginia Defense ForceOath KeepersKu Klux KlanMark HerringRalph NorthamSoutheastern United StatesConfederate States of AmericaThe FanArthur Ashe MonumentJefferson Davis MemorialChristopher ColumbusWilliams Carter WickhamHowitzer MonumentGeorge Floyd protestsGeorge FloydMinneapolis, Minnesotacounterfeit billDerek Chauvinhomicidethird-degree murdermanslaughtersecond-degree murderKeith Ellisonaiding and abettingdemonstrations and protests in many U.S. cities and around the worldpolice brutalityincome inequalitycapitalisminstitutional racismpolice accountabilityMonroe ParkMonroe WardVirginia Division of Capitol Policerapid transitVirginia Commonwealth UniversityAll Cops Are BastardsMemorial to the Women of the ConfederacyVirginia Museum of History and CultureRumors of WarAllison Street transit stationCentral Office DistrictRichmond City HallMaymont ParkByrd ParkCommonwealth's Attorney for the City of RichmondJuneteenthRevolutionary WarCity Councilsubpoenasocial workersrubber bulletspepper sprayCharlotte-Mecklenburg Police DepartmentStonewall Jackson MonumentSolidarity with Portlandunlawful assemblywhite supremacistsagents provocateursImmigration and Customs EnforcementOur RevolutionJennifer McClellantear gasdefund state policereformsRepublican Party of VirginiaTrey SongzSupreme Court of VirginiaArthur AsheGlenn Youngkin2020 Richmond, Virginia mayoral electionBBC NewsABC NewsThe Washington PostWayback MachineThe New York TimesKSTP-TVNBC NewsTwitterRichmond Free PressRichmond Times-DispatchProtestsmemorialstrial protestsLocationsMinneapolis–Saint PaulAftermathArson damageGeorge Floyd Square occupied protest2021 Minneapolis Question 2