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heyyyy y’all 
I’m downtown this evening helping out with @DandC coverage of protests following the death of Daniel Prude.
We’re at the Public Safety Building on Exchange Blvd now, where a crowd of about 75 has gathered.
I’m downtown this evening helping out with @DandC coverage of protests following the death of Daniel Prude.
We’re at the Public Safety Building on Exchange Blvd now, where a crowd of about 75 has gathered.
Crowd is peaceful, listening to the speakers as cars driving by honk in solidarity.
Sorry, didn’t mean to go silent but things totally died down. Exchange is being shut down, media being asked to move toward corn hill.
Police are closing off streets. This is Court Street, right by the public safety building. They’re zip-tying the barriers together.
Several hundred people have gathered at Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Park. Music is playing, there’s pizza up for grabs & everyone’s kind of just hanging out.
Organizers are also telling people to write phone numbers on their arms in permanent marker in case they’re detained.
Organizers are also telling people to write phone numbers on their arms in permanent marker in case they’re detained.
There’s also a wild assortment of homemade shields here: Sheets of plywood with drawer pulls screwed onto them, snow sleds with duct tape handles and even metal garbage can lids.
Organizers are getting emotional, talking about how they’ve been saying the names of many people without ever knowing about Daniel Prude.
People are listening quietly in between rounds of chanting.
Two drones are hovering overhead.
People are listening quietly in between rounds of chanting.
Two drones are hovering overhead.
Daniel Prude’s brother, Joe Prude, just stepped up to address the crowd.
He starts to speak, then stops to compose himself. People shout words of encouragement & he carries on.
“This is an unstoppable moment right now,” he says. “It’s time to get rid of them sons of bitches.”
He starts to speak, then stops to compose himself. People shout words of encouragement & he carries on.
“This is an unstoppable moment right now,” he says. “It’s time to get rid of them sons of bitches.”
“It’s time for the mayor to step her ass down,” he says. “It’s time for La’Ron Singletary to step his ass down.”
Joe Prude says that the crowd tonight gives him hope, that there’s too many people to not make a difference.
Joe Prude says that the crowd tonight gives him hope, that there’s too many people to not make a difference.
Totally packed here at MLK park. Music playing, people getting water and pizza and just kind of.. waiting. Chatting. Hanging out. Getting high.
Organizers are reminding people that it is a marathon, not a sprint.
Organizers are reminding people that it is a marathon, not a sprint.
Ok, we’re on the move — currently filling the roundabout near MLK park and organizing everyone. Thousand(s?) people here at least.
Organizers asking people with shields to come to the front. Heading toward East Ave.
Organizers asking people with shields to come to the front. Heading toward East Ave.
Crowd is heading toward East and Alexander. Just crossed through the union intersection.
The chant for the last few minutes has been: “No justice, no peace. Fuck these racist ass police”
The chant for the last few minutes has been: “No justice, no peace. Fuck these racist ass police”
Every time I look down the street, toward where we’re going, there’s a police car at the intersection with their lights on. Stopping traffic from coming near the crowd. But then as soon as we get closer they move along to the next intersection, letting those marching move on.
Phone’s dying, FYI. Gonna be more sporadic with updates if I can be.
They’ve come to a stop at the East/Alexander intersection.
They’ve come to a stop at the East/Alexander intersection.
The group is still here, totally engulfing East Ave at the intersection of Alexander.
They were chanting “No justice, no peace, prosecute the police,” but now organizers are discussing the way Daniel Prude died. The crowd is totally quiet, listening.
No police anywhere near by. Can see lights a block away.
No police anywhere near by. Can see lights a block away.
Alright so now we’re hearing smashing glass and the crowd has moved toward Ox and Stone on Alexander.
Chanting “out of the bar, into the streets”
Some are moving forward and approaching the intersection of Alexander and Park.
Chanting “out of the bar, into the streets”
Some are moving forward and approaching the intersection of Alexander and Park.
We’ve turned down parking. Pausing to get everyone caught up. Some kept walking down Alexander, past park.
At Park and Meigs now. “Out of your homes, into the street.”
Turning down Meigs, heading toward Monroe.
Turning down Meigs, heading toward Monroe.
Annnd now we’re heading toward the intersection of Tracy St and Alexander. It’s getting kind of messy. Some of the people on bikes who were blocking the intersections have kind of disappeared, no longer so many of them so now they’re having trouble shutting down intersections.
Crowd is approaching Alexander and Monroe now. Line of police cars just got down here and they’re parking near the intersection, on the other side of Monroe on Alexander.
They’re chanting Daniel Prude’s name.
They’re chanting Daniel Prude’s name.
No conflict with the police that had zipped by near Alexander and Monroe. We’re coming up Chestnut now, passing the Strong Museum and approaching MLK Park. Back where we started.
The group has stopped for a minute by the butterfly garden at Strong Museum.
Chanting “Say his name! Daniel Prude!”
Chanting “Say his name! Daniel Prude!”
We’re heading down court St now, approaching that barrier I mentioned before. Police here are silent, in riot gear. One guy is screaming at them over the fencing but it’s just him at the moment.
It’s a wall of people up against the barrier. I’m wedged somewhere in the middle, can’t see anything. They’re ordering people to disperse and I’m walking back away now.
They sprayed tear gas and what sounded like pepper balls. I can’t actually see what’s going on.
They sprayed tear gas and what sounded like pepper balls. I can’t actually see what’s going on.
People are heading back up court street the way they came. Some are throwing water bottles back at police, but other protesters are yelling at them to stop. People are coughing, dumping water in their eyes to wash out the tear gas.
Tweets with video are taking forever to upload so I’m not gonna be sharing much of them. Police are at the corner of court/south Ave, spraying people with tear gas and what (again, not an expert here) I think are pepper balls. Feel free to correct me if you’re here and I’m wrong
Some people right at the front of the barrier were hit (again, sorry, I don’t know if it’s pepper balls or rubber bullets) and received care from protesters who designated themselves as medics.
And ok, @sdowdphoto, @jgermano1 and I have all left the protest scene. Not safe for us to be there anymore.
Here's the story, for anyone who prefers to read that over a twitter thread. It's all the same content, just in a different format.
Thanks all for tuning in tonight. I'm seeing some more stuff going on downtown via Twitter, but I'm heading home for now. https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2020/09/05/daniel-prude-protests-rochester-sees-third-night-unrest/5725389002/
Thanks all for tuning in tonight. I'm seeing some more stuff going on downtown via Twitter, but I'm heading home for now. https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2020/09/05/daniel-prude-protests-rochester-sees-third-night-unrest/5725389002/
