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On a weather-perfect spring night with temperatures hovering around 80, things seemed far different Wednesday in Detroit than the previoius days when police aggressively arrested people protesting police brutality beyond the 8 p.m. curfew.
Calm had set in and Police Chief James Craig announced that the curfew wouldn't be enforced so long as protests remained peaceful. One group marched through Mayor Mike Duggan's east-side neighborhood to his home, Manoogian Mansion, giving speeches, chanting the name of George Floyd and "no justice, no peace." Another group marched through downtown. Duggan was nowhere to be seen outside his home.
Protesters outside Manoogian Mansion.
"I support the voice," Craig told reporters. "I support the peaceful protest. That's what I'm seeing now. Right now, I want to support these young people having their voices heard."
Council President Pro-tem Mary Sheffield was among the protesters marching, as was former mayoral candidate Tom Barrow.
In the previous five days of protests in Detroit, about 400 people had been arrested, most for curfew violations and disorderly conduct.
Of that total, 127 were arrested on Tuesday. And of that group, Tristan Taylor, 37, an organizer of the protests, was detained overnight on a misdemeanor, resisting and not following orders or disturbing the peace. He was released Wednesday and joined the protest.
Earlier in the day, Mayor Duggan praised the news of a decision to upgrade the charge against Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin to second-degree murder while charging the other three officers.
"Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s decision to increase the charge against the former Minneapolis officer directly responsible for Mr. Floyd's death to 2nd Degree Murder is a major step toward justice," Duggan said in a statement.
"Just as importantly, the felony charges of aiding and abetting 2nd degree murder against the other three sends a message to all police officers that they are criminally responsible when they see a crime being committed by a fellow officer against any citizen and fail to protect the victim."
Tahira Ahmad at Manoogian Mansion on Wednesday night (Photo:Michael Lucido)
Monique Becker at Stockton Park near the Manoogian Mansion (Photo: Michael Lucido)
Marching through the subdivision of the Manoogian Mansion. (Photo: Michael Lucido)
Peaceful gathering outside Manoogian Mansion in Detroit. (Photo: Michael Lucido)
Rev. James Smith outside the Manoogian Mansion (Photo: Michael Lucido)
At the Manoogian Mansion (Photo: Michael Lucido)
Manoogian Mansion (Photo: Michael Lucido)
