For the last three nights, people in communities around North Carolina raised their voices and demonstrated against police brutality against black people. The death of George Floyd sparked these protests in the Tar Heel state and around the country.
A police officer killed Floyd in Minneapolis on Memorial Day by kneeling on his neck for nearly nine minutes after detaining him for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill. On Saturday and Sunday in North Carolina, peaceful protests turned to violence in several different cities and towns. Local officials have declared states of emergency in Raleigh, Charlotte, Fayetteville and Wilmington.
In all of those towns, law enforcement officers used tear gas and other less-lethal weapons against people demonstrating. Some protesters in Fayetteville, Charlotte, Wilmington, Raleigh and other communities broke windows, started fires and vandalized property. Many cities across the state imposed a curfew by Monday night, and demonstrations on Monday night around the state remained peaceful.
Host Frank Stasio talks to Jason deBruyn about protests in the state’s capital and how they evolved over several nights. DeBruyn is WUNC’s data reporter.
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