(Photo from the Houston Chronicle.)
By Terrance Turner
At 2 pm — less than an hour after charges were announced in the death of George Floyd — hundreds peacefully gathered at Discovery Green in downtown Houston to protest his murder. The protesters, some wearing masks, marched from Discovery Green to City Hall this afternoon. The Black Lives Matter Houston protest was scheduled from 2 until 4:30 pm, but may run longer.
Floyd was from Houston and went to high school in Houston’s 3rd Ward. He also had a daughter and other family here. In fact, Floyd lived in Houston for years before moving to Minneapolis in 2014. As a lifelong Houston resident, I rarely see large-scale demonstrations in the city I was raised. Which makes today’s big rally all the more surprising — and heartening.
The Houston Chronicle reports:
Several hundred people marched in a heated Black Lives Matter demonstration that spilled onto an Interstate 45 entrance ramp near downtown Houston Friday, joining national outrage about the death of George Floyd with chants of “I can’t breathe” and “No justice, no peace,” as they trekked from Discovery Green to City Hall.
Ashton Woods, Black Lives Matter Houston founder, said the rally was designed to make ensure that “people know that they have a place to come and express their anger and frustration.”
That anger and frustration was visible throughout the event. At one point, Woods was involved in a large fight that broke out outside City Hall after he was confronted by a man with a rifle. It was broken up by police and protesters, according to video footage from the scene.
Check back for more updates on this protest.
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