Massive Black Lives Matter Protest In Providence Ends Peacefully

PROVIDENCE, RI — A peaceful protest that drew some 20,0000 people to the Rhode Island State House turned into an after-curfew-standoff Friday prompting Gov. Gina Raimondo to plead with protesters, but ended around midnight peacefully.

Read more: Keep It Peaceful: Raimondo Pleads With Protesters

The protest punctuated a tense week in Rhode Island, following a night of violence in downtown Providence late Monday night. A crowd of hundreds gathered at the Providence Place Mall before fanning out throughout downtown, leaving broken windows, looted stores and burned-out vehicles in their wake. In total, police arrested some 70 people, mostly Rhode Island residents.

Several city leaders declared curfews to avoid similar incidents, including Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza, who on Tuesday announced a seven-day curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. On Friday afternoon, Cranston Mayor Allan Fung reinstated the city's curfew, citing safety concerns.

Despite the curfew, those who came out in support of the Black Lives Matter Civil Rights movement Friday did not end their gathering until well into the night.

Aside from a reported scuffle that lead to one arrest, those who attended described the event as largely peaceful.

Read more: Keep It Peaceful: Raimondo Pleads With Protesters

And

Read more:

• Rhode Island Works To Make Protests Safer From Coronavirus
• Opinion: When Will They Ever Learn?
• Aquidneck Island Prepares For Weekend Protests
• 'Unequivocally, Black Lives Matter': Raimondo
• Cranston Mayor Reinstates Overnight Curfew
• After A High-Tension Night In Rhode Island, 'A Better Morning'
• Coventry Rescinds Overnight Curfew
• 'A Sad Day For Downtown': Providence Cleans Up Following Violence
• Raimondo: Providence Violence Not 'Who We Are As Rhode Islanders'
• Overnight Curfews In Place In Cranston, Providence, Warwick