Demonstrations, marches and clashes in Columbus in photos and video

By: Ohio Capital Journal Staff - June 2, 2020 1:00 am

COLUMBUS, OH – MAY 28: Protesters demonstrated in Downtown Columbus near the statehouse in solidarity with nation wide protests against the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images.

Ohio Capital Journal staff have been out on the streets of Columbus over the weekend and into Monday, covering the protests and marches in Ohio’s capital city.

Demonstrations across Ohio come in response to the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed during a stop from the Minneapolis police this week. Video depicts a white officer, who was later charged with murder in the third degree, pressure a face-down Floyd by the neck with his knee.

More broadly, the protests mark a boiling point of a decades-long trend of black Americans experiencing systemic racism entrenched in the criminal justice system. Protesters have chanted Floyd’s name for days now, as well as the names of other black men killed at the hands of police like Mike Brown, Eric Garner and Tamir Rice (a 12-year-old Cleveland boy).

Around Ohio

Demonstrations were held in cities large and small. The most notable clashes came between police and protesters in Ohio’s largest cities, including Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland. The downtown areas of those cities also saw much vandalism over the weekend and community clean-ups in the days after.

Although this list is not comprehensive, Capital Journal staff observed reports of demonstrations taking place in Akron, Athens, Dayton, Toledo, Youngstown, Ravenna, Mansfield, Steubenville, Chillicothe, Springfield and others.

Thursday

Ohio Capital Journal staff weren’t able to capture the scene at Broad and High in downtown Columbus Thursday night, when protesters and police initially clashed. For several hours, the intersection was the scene of a tense stand-off. Eventually, police cleared the crowd using tear gas, pepper spray, flash bangs and other tactics. Those tactics and more, including firing rubber bullets into the crowd, would be repeatedly used by police to disperse crowds over the weekend.

Friday

Ohio Capital Journal Reporter Tyler Buchanan was on the scene in downtown Columbus Friday night, and live-streamed the situation for nearly four hours.

Mounted patrol and protesters clashing at corner of Front and Long streets. pic.twitter.com/zn1csFdRxx

— Tyler Buchanan (@Tylerjoelb) May 30, 2020

https://www.facebook.com/ohiocapitaljournal/videos/746913779416016/

: Protesters at police headquarters in Columbus in May 2020. Photo by Tyler Buchanan, Ohio Capital Journal.

: A police officer reads a protester’s sign. Photo by Tyler Buchanan.

: About one block outside the fray, a man stands in front of the Ohio Supreme Court building. Photo by Jake Zuckerman.

Saturday

: Protesters taking a knee at the Ohio Statehouse. Photo by Tyler Buchanan.

: Some protesters shook hands with the Ohio State Highway Patrol officers guarding the Statehouse. Photo by Tyler Buchanan.

: The protest march going through the Arena District in Columbus. Photo by Tyler Buchanan.

: Protesters demonstrating in Columbus during their Saturday march. Photo by Tyler Buchanan.

: A protester makes his voice heard in Columbus. Photo by Tyler Buchanan.

: Marchers make their way to Short North in Columbus Saturday. Photo by Tyler Buchanan.

: The protest march heads through Short North in Columbus Saturday. Photo by Tyler Buchanan.

: Demonstrators looping through the Short North area on Saturday’s march. Photo by Tyler Buchanan.

: Protesters walked through Italian Village as they made their way back toward the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. Photo by Tyler Buchanan.

: Demonstrators walking across the Rt. 670 bridge toward downtown Columbus Saturday. Photo by Tyler Buchanan.

: Demonstrators at the Ohio Statehouse. Photo by Tyler Buchanan.

: Demonstrators at the Ohio Statehouse Saturday. Photo by Tyler Buchanan.

: A demonstrator talking to Ohio State Highway Patrol officers at the Statehouse. Photo by Tyler Buchanan.

: Police took over the intersection of Broad and High streets in downtown Columbus, the location for several flash points during protests over the George Floyd murder in 2020, with police and protesters jockeying for control over the intersection. Photo by Tyler Buchanan, OCJ.

Sunday

: Demonstrators often took a knee in silence or prayer, either at the Statehouse or in the street, throughout Sunday. Photo by Marty Schladen.

: Demonstrators repeatedly gathered and chanted at the Ohio Highway State Patrol officers guarding the Ohio Statehouse. These situations remained peaceful, sometimes with protesters talking directly with officers and shaking their hands. Photo by David DeWitt.

: Protesters gathered outside the Ohio Statehouse Sunday afternoon. Photo by Marty Schladen.

: Protesters continue their march, starting down High Street from the Statehouse. They would make multiple loops around various blocks and back to the Statehouse throughout Sunday. Photo by David DeWitt.

: Some people rode on top of vehicles traveling with marchers as they looped around areas of downtown Columbus. Photo by David DeWitt.

: Many vehicles in traffic traveled with Columbus protest marchers Sunday carrying signs in support. Photo by Marty Schladen.

: Ohio National Guardsman watch protesters in Columbus in May 2020. Photo by Marty Schladen.

: The Ohio National Guard stands post in downtown Columbus last year. Photo by Marty Schladen.

: Demonstrators coming off the bridge over Rt. 670 and heading back toward downtown Columbus during Sunday’s march. Photo by David DeWitt.

: A supporter provides water for marchers in Columbus Sunday. Photo by Marty Schladen.

: Protesters again heading South back toward the Ohio Statehouse after having marched down High Street to Fifth to Summit in Columbus. Photo by David DeWitt.

: Supporters provided snacks, water, and first aid to protesters. Here’s one handing out snacks Sunday. Photo by Marty Schladen.

: While thousands of protesters marched around Columbus, the Ohio Statehouse acted as an area to congregate and also take a break from marching for protesters. Photo by David DeWitt.

: After marching for miles around downtown Columbus, including all the way north up into the Short North district, east to Summit, and back down South to the Statehouse, many demonstrators took time to rest by stretching out on the Statehouse lawn. Photo by David DeWitt.

: Protesters after having overtaken Broad and High once again. Photo by David DeWitt.

: In this photo, demonstrators have once again taken over Broad and High streets in Columbus. They surrounded a car that tried to push through to prevent further destruction to it after some started attacking it. Protesters could be heard telling people to be peaceful. Photo by David DeWitt.

Monday

: Cars were again honking and showing support to demonstrators at the Statehouse Monday. Photo by Susan Tebben.

: Protesters again gathered in downtown Columbus and marched through the streets on Monday. Photo by Susan Tebben.

: Peaceful protests continued from Sunday into Monday. Notably, while the behavior and location of the crowd remained the same, the police did not confront the crowd in riot gear as they had during similar marches and protests on Saturday. Photo by Jake Zuckerman.

: Demonstrators on the Statehouse lawn. A few were carrying guns. Photo by Jake Zuckerman.

: Demonstrators on the Statehouse lawn. A few were carrying guns. Photo by Jake Zuckerman.

: Protesters in downtown Columbus Monday. Photo by Susan Tebben.

: The Ohio Theater boarded up windows being muralized. Photo by Susan Tebben.

: Protesters in downtown Columbus in May. Photo by Susan Tebben.

: Some members of Columbus police joined demonstrators in a march. Photo by Jake Zuckerman.

: Protests at the Ohio Statehouse. Photo by Jake Zuckerman.

: Protests form days after the murder of George Floyd in 2020 at the Ohio Statehouse. Photo by Jake Zuckerman.

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