George Floyd protests in Columbus, Ohio

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George Floyd protests in Columbus, Ohio
Part of George Floyd protests in Ohio
Protesters at the Ohio Statehouse, May 30
Date	May 28, 2020 – c. 2021
Location	Downtown Columbus, Ohio, The Short North, the South Side
Caused by	Police brutality Institutional racism against African Americans[1][2] Reaction to the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police Department Economic, racial and social inequality[2]
Methods	Demonstrations, riots, civil disobedience, civil resistance, looting, and property damage
Parties
Protesters (no centralized authority) People's Justice Project[3] Columbus Freedom Coalition[4] Black Freedom[5] Other local groups Authorities: Ohio General Assembly Ohio National Guard (May 30-June 10) Columbus Division of Police
Injuries and arrests
Arrested	98[6]

The George Floyd protests were a series of protests and civil disturbances that initially started in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area of Minnesota, United States, before spreading nationwide. In Columbus, Ohio, unrest began on May 28, 2020, two days after incidents began in Minneapolis. The events were a reaction to the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes, asphyxiating him.

Protests were centered in Downtown Columbus, the Short North, and the South Side; within Downtown, most were held around Capitol Square, spreading to surrounding streets. In the first few days, the protests and riots were met with a heavy police presence, although over 100 businesses were vandalized, along with numerous government buildings. On May 30, Columbus issued an indefinite curfew, and Governor Mike DeWine ordered the Ohio National Guard to maintain order in the city. The curfew and the city's state of emergency were believed to be the first in 50 years.

Protesters' tactics primarily included picketing, marches, and die-ins, including shouting, speeches, and chants. A few more agitated events involved protesters throwing water bottles, rocks and bricks, and launching fireworks into lines of police. Officers, mounted police, and SWAT used pepper spray, tear gas, rubber and wooden pellets, and flashbangs to drive them back, and sometimes to attack those protesting non-violently. Columbus's police chief, along with Mayor Andrew Ginther, stated there was evidence that some demonstrators protesting and rioting were from outside the community or state, including from the group Anonymous, turning the protests increasingly violent.^[7][8][9]

Protests began to drop in violence around May 31, and the city began making changes to support racial equality. On June 1, the city declared racism a public health crisis, and Police Chief Thomas Quinlan and other officers marched with protesters for the first time. Mayor Ginther also created an independent review system for police aggression that has taken place during the protests. On June 2, Ginther joined Quinlan in the protests. The city-wide curfew was lifted on June 6.