On Sunday evening, Richmond citizens hosted and attended a ‘teach-in.’ This was a time to reflect on past protests and brainstorm about community building and how to proceed. Following the event, protesters gathered in Monroe Park to begin another night of marching through the streets.
Police convened on Monroe Park and began chasing and capturing protesters. Citizens on the ground noted that police specifically targeted members of the press and citizens who frequently document the protests nightly. “If you go through (the park) you (sic) are going to jail,” one officer stated, according to Zach Joachim of RTD News.
Executive editor of The Commonwealth Times, Andrew Ringle, was detained briefly by police, an experience he shares in detail on his Twitter account. According to Ringle, officers ordered him to remove his mask before taking a photo of him. Another reporter, Olivia Ugino of NBC12 shared her experience of police officers threatening to arrest her, even after she showed her press badge.
Protesters in the area reported that police were primarily targeting members of independent press, as evidenced by the fact that Ugino of NBC was not arrested or detained. Medics, citizens with medical supplies who attend protests daily, were also targeted by police officers, according to multiple accounts. Richmond police declared an unlawful assembly at Monroe Park, citing that the park was closed. Local residents in the area report that Monroe is typically open to the public to utilize at all times of the evening.
The Juncture Magazine 