Peaceful ‘I Will Breathe’ Rally Leads to Chaotic Events in Downtown Nashville – Nashville Scene

The demonstration against police brutality was followed by a wilder scene at MNPD’s Central Precinct and City Hall

Crowds gathered at the “I Will Breathe” rally in downtown NashvillePhoto: Matt Masters

A peaceful march and rally against police brutality and white supremacy in downtown Nashville led to more chaotic events near the Metro Nashville Police Department’s Central Precinct on Saturday afternoon.

Hundreds of protesters gathered on and near Legislative Plaza around 3 p.m. for the “I Will Breathe” rally. Wearing masks and holding signs, attendees issued chants of “Justice for George Floyd,” “black lives matter” and “no justice, no peace” as speakers addressed the crowd. The gathering, which was organized by a loose affiliation of activists, came in conjunction with demonstrations around the country inspired by the death of George Floyd, who was killed when Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

Speakers at the “I Will Breathe” rally included members of Metro and state government, among them Mayor John Cooper, state Rep. Vincent Dixie, state Rep. Mike Stewart, state Rep. Harold Love and state Sen. Brenda Gilmore. Nashville NAACP president Keith Caldwell addressed the crowd, telling those gathered that it was the biggest group he’d seen at the plaza in his many years of activism. Others, including activist Justin Jones, called for deep systemic change, referencing the killings of black men — including Daniel Hambrick and Jocques Clemmons, both of whom were shot and killed by members of the Metro Nashville Police Department.

“We cannot change hearts,” said Rep. Dixie at one point. “We cannot change minds. But what we can do is change laws. Make sure you register to vote. I’m angry. I’m mad as hell, but I can’t let it consume me.”

After roughly two hours of speakers and peaceful demonstration, the protesters dispersed to march east on Martin Luther King Boulevard. At one point, those marching headed down Lower Broadway, with people in Honky Tonk Central looking down at the crowds from the bar’s windows.

Not long after, crowds gathered near MNPD’s Central Precinct on Korean Veterans Boulevard, where the scene quickly became chaotic. With officers lined up in front of the precinct, crowds smashed out the windows of one police cruiser, with others throwing rocks at the building.

At least half a dozen people in the crowd were detained by MNPD, with some officers wearing riot gear dispersed to protect the building. Mounted police were also present. See videos from those events in this thread. 

After the events at the Central Precinct, crowds moved toward City Hall. Some destruction continued to unfold, with the statue of Edward W. Carmack at the state Capitol pulled down by protesters, and messages including “Fuck Trump” and “BLM” spray-painted on the walls of City Hall. One member of the crowd told the Scene he was pepper-sprayed by police.

As the night wore on, crowds lit fires at the Metro Courthouse, tossing flaming pieces of paper in through the broken windows of the building. Metro police employed tear gas to disperse the crowd, with Mayor Cooper declaring a state of emergency and setting a 10 p.m. curfew.

The Equity Alliance, one of the city’s most prominent black advocacy organizations, addressed the escalating situation in a statement on Twitter. 

“Today’s protest was peaceful and unified,” they wrote. “We witnessed white people defacing public property while marching and told them to stop. The people now attempting to set fire to the Metro Courthouse right now are NOT associated with today’s peaceful protest rally. It ain’t us.”

Following Cooper’s emergency declaration, Gov. Bill Lee announced that he’d mobilized the National Guard. 

“At the request of Mayor Cooper, I am authorizing the National Guard to mobilize in response to protests that have now taken a violent, unlawful turn in Nashville,” Lee said in a written statement. “The threat to both peace and property is unacceptable and we will work with local law enforcement and community leaders to restore safety and order. This is not a reflection of our state or the fundamental American right to peaceful protest.”

See photos from today’s events below. We will update this post as the story develops.

Matt Masters and Steven Hale contributed to this story.

Photo: Stephen Elliott

Photo: Stephen Elliott

Photo: Stephen Elliott

Photo: Stephen Elliott

Photo: Stephen Elliott

Photo: Stephen Elliott

Photo: Stephen Elliott

Photo: Stephen Elliott