After a night of peaceful protests in downtown Montgomery, a member of the media asked Mayor Steven Reed on Tuesday how long he expects protests to continue here, pointing out that some people are on edge about the situation.
Reed, the city’s first black mayor, said minorities have been dealing with those kinds of anxieties for a lot longer than the past few days and they deserve a chance to raise their voice.
“That’s what I heard yesterday, that there are people who live with the strain and the trauma of having to be concerned about how they’re going to be perceived not only by the police in the community, but others,” he said.
“We’re standing in the city of a protest that was supposed to be one day and lasted 381 more days. So, I don’t know when this protest is over. We’ll work with the protesters as long as we need to work with them. If it’s three more days, or if it’s 300 more days we’ll work with them and we’ll make sure we make the changes that need to be made. That’s how we got this far.”
Hundreds gathered Monday night in front of the state Capitol building in downtown Montgomery to protest police brutality and the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. People held signs and chanted “no justice, no peace” but there were no instances of violence.
Protest leaders called for peace throughout the night, and police including Chief Ernest Finley spoke one-on-one with people in the crowd.
Reed credited Finley and Montgomery Police officers for taking that approach. He said “there are those that believe you have to meet peaceful protesters with forceful tactics,” but that’s not the path Montgomery chooses to take.
“We’ve learned that lesson generations ago. It’s not one we plan to repeat,” Reed said.
One woman was arrested for refusing to leave the protest scene by the city’s 10 p.m. curfew.
Police responded to 12 calls about damage and stolen property elsewhere across the city throughout the night, and five other people were arrested — including four who are charged with first-degree criminal mischief for toppling a statue of Robert E. Lee.
Reed said he has no plans to intervene in that case. Finley issued a statement saying officers would be reviewing footage and plan to make more arrests.
“Anytime that we have crime, that’s not good for us,” Reed said. “That’s not good for the businesses. It’s not good for our community. We want to try to stamp that out as much as we can.
“The protesters were very peaceful, very orderly.”
Asked if he had a message to share with protesters, Reed said he understands their frustration.
“I share that not just as the mayor, I share that with you as a black man living in Montgomery, Alabama,” Reed said. “That is something that many of us have to deal with, or have had to deal with at some point in our lives, and even talking to our sons about that.
“… We have to make sure that we channel that frustration and we channel that anger in a positive manner. … What is the goal? What is the objective? And how can I help as the mayor of this city not only protect you and what you’re doing in your protest, but also help you bring about the change that you want to see from the system itself?”
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Brad Harper at bharper1@gannett.com.
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Montgomery mayor pledges to work with protesters, make changes - Montgomery Advertiser
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