After a weekend of peaceful protests throughout Hampton Roads, tension escalated at the Oceanfront in Virginia Beach Sunday night as hundreds marched following the death of George Floyd, a black man who pleaded for help as a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes in Minneapolis last week.
Police lined Atlantic Avenue in riot gear and appeared to deploy tear gas. Several Oceanfront businesses were damaged, according to social media posts. It’s unclear what led to the escalation, but extensive police activity continued past midnight.
Protesters initially gathered at Rudee Inlet at about 7:40 p.m., according to police. The group marched along Atlantic Avenue past 30th Street, until they turned around to head south on Pacific Avenue, at times crossing back and forth to Atlantic. Police were with them, keeping motorists away, but also blocking streets in their vehicles.
After a while, police in riot gear showed up in two locations: one group that formed a line at 15th Street and Atlantic Avenue and a second a block down at 16th and Atlantic.
“At approximately 9:45 p.m., a small portion of the marchers began to participate in criminal behavior resulting in police enforcement,” police said in a statement.
Before this, only a few gas canisters were deployed, but suddenly a large amount of tear gas was deployed from officers at 17th and Atlantic Avenue.
That’s when things became chaotic, and people scattered. Some started breaking windows and vandalizing businesses.
Virginia Beach police declared the rally an unlawful assembly at 10:30 p.m., requesting that everyone leave the area, said LM Bauder, a police spokesperson, in a statement. Access to vehicles and pedestrians is being restricted and police are urging people to avoid the area.
The march began peacefully Sunday but turned hostile as the night went on. In Virginia Beach, some protesters burned flags, other small fires were seen in the streets and some businesses’ windows were broken. On social media, several demonstrators were upset when a police car that, on video, appeared to drive at a crowd of protesters. In another instance, a red pick-up truck with a large American flag in the bed appeared to accelerate at a group of demonstrators.
At about 11:40 p.m., there were loud, rapid consecutive bangs that sounded like gunshots. It’s unclear where the noises came from.
The clash between protesters and police was the region’s most violent scene over the weekend, as Hampton Roads had largely escaped the widespread damage other areas, like Atlanta and Philadelphia, saw as mass demonstrations spread since Floyd’s death last week. Many of the country’s largest cities were placed under curfew and the national guard was mobilized in several states.
Black Lives Matter 757 organized a rally to start at 7:57 p.m. Sunday at a parking lot in Rudee Loop. The group had led a protest to shut down the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel on Friday. That demonstration remained peaceful throughout.
“Standing in solidarity with the rest of the nation in unrest, demanding Justice for George Floyd,” the group wrote in a description of the event. “Tonight we will occupy the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. For far to (sic) long Virginia Beach police have harassed black & brown.”
But even as Hampton Roads remained largely peaceful over the weekend, tension escalated in other areas of the state, particularly in Richmond.
Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency Sunday. The capital city has an 8 p.m. curfew through Wednesday.
“This emergency declaration will provide the necessary support to localities as they work to keep our communities safe,” Northam said in a statement. “There are many voices speaking out for justice and healing across the United States and in our Commonwealth, but others are exploiting this pain and inciting violence.”
Peter Coutu, 757-222-5124, peter.coutu@pilotonline.com
