Police ban street marches after BLM protests

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• The Louisville Metro Police Department announced Sunday that they are banning all street marches and protest caravans after more than two months of Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
• The announcement came after a violent clash transpired between the police and protesters that lead to 12 arrests.
• Protests in Louisville, Kentucky started after Breonna Taylor was fatally shot on March 13 during a botched raid.

Police in Louisville announced Sunday they are prohibiting all protests, including street marches and caravans after more than two months of Black Lives Matter demonstrations. Protests in this Kentucky city started after the police shooting death of Breonna Taylor on March 13.

The Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement following a violent clash with police over the weekend. Twelve people were arrested.

“LMPD continues to balance the First Amendment right to protest with the public safety needs of the entire community,” the department said on Twitter. “For nearly 75 days, Louisville residents have taken to the streets to express their desire for accountability and change.”

“These caravans continue to pose serious safety risks, for protestors and the public.”

Police said all pedestrians in Louisville must remain on sidewalks “following all laws for pedestrian traffic” effective Sunday.

“Cars and pedestrians will not be allowed to block intersections for any length of time,” the department tweeted. “Participants who refuse to comply with any law or lawful order will be eligible for citation and/or arrest.”

People were arrested Saturday night for flipping tables at a Fourth Street Live event and set trashcans on fire, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. Eight of those were on felony charges.

The department’s spokesman Lamong Washington told the news outlet that the protesters also fired paintballs at passing cars before heading to Jefferson Square.

On March 13, 26-year-old Breonna Taylor was sleeping with her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, when undercover police burst into her home at 1 a.m. and fatally shot her.

Walker told police he pulled out a gun —  which he is legally licensed to own —  not knowing the intruders were cops.

Source: New York Post