“I have four sons and seven grandsons," is what one protester told News Center 7′s Ronnell Hunt today in Dayton. “And I fear for their life, I really do.”
Hunt heard several different stories from those who chose to demonstrate downtown in outrage over the death of George Floyd.
“ I don’t condone the violence, but sometimes this is the only way we can get someone’s attention. I just want safety. We have people to die for our rights," Monya Lovett said.
The protests grew less and less peaceful as the day turned to evening, with reports of shots being fired, and police deploying teargas onto the crowd.
According to Mayor Nan Whaley and Police Chief Biehl, though, the majority of protests remained peaceful. Both acknowledged that the people of Dayton have a right to stand against systematic racism, and even said it was something they are “working on nearly every day.”
“It’s time for them to come up with some solutions,” Asia Gibbs told Hunt. ““We showed up here today not to harm the police, where to put them in the fear we experience every day, but for solutions. The time of the screaming and burning has passed.”
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