Protesters block downtown traffic, cause commotion at Artesian Commons Wednesday night
A group of 15-20 protesters blocked traffic and caused a commotion at the Artesian Commons Park in downtown Olympia Wednesday evening, according to Olympia Police.
Lt. Paul Lower told The Olympian the demonstration was related to “an incident in Minneapolis recently,” ostensibly referring to the police killing of George Floyd, an African-American man, earlier this week. Protests have followed Floyd’s death in Minneapolis and other U.S. cities.
About 8 p.m. Wednesday, police got a call regarding a group of people holding signs and banners and walking down Fourth Avenue Southwest, blocking both lanes of traffic, Lower said. Demonstrators tore apart fencing at the closed Artesian Commons Park between Adams Street Southeast and Jefferson Street Southeast, threw it across the roadway, Lower said, and set off fireworks at the park.
Officers were monitoring the protest, Lower said, and began to approach as soon as damage to the fencing began and there was report of damage to a nearby vehicle. The protesters quickly dispersed, according to Lower.
There were no arrests and no reported injuries, Lower said. The fencing was easily returned to its place, and Lower was not sure about the extent of the reported damage to the vehicle.
The event lasted about 20-30 minutes, Lower said.
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