'Keep It Peaceful Tonight,' Raimondo Pleads To Protesters

PROVIDENCE, RI — A peaceful protest at the Rhode Island State House quickly turned into a tense standoff Friday after the sun went down. Gov. Gina Raimondo pleaded with protesters to remain peaceful, saying there was "work to be done tomorrow."

A video posted by WPRI shows the governor in the thick of a crowd of people and uniformed police officers, shouting into a microphone over the noise of the crowd.

"Keep it peaceful tonight," Raimondo repeated. "No one is going to shoot you. No one is going to shoot you for being peaceful."

The protest began at 4:30 p.m. and continued throughout the evening hours as hundreds filled the streets to call for racial justice in the wake of the death of George Floyd, who died in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The protest is one of many like it across the country and is the first of several planned throughout the state this weekend.

In a tweet, the governor thanked the peaceful protesters for gathering at the state house, saying they were in her prayers.

"I'm fully committed to taking action and working with you to eliminate racism in Rhode Island," Raimondo said. "Please continue to stay peaceful and safe tonight."

Video taken at the protest shows a line of police in full riot gear advancing towards the crowd.

"They fear our skin, man," a man walking in front of the line shouted, holding a sign reading "end police brutality." "They fear our skin."

Friday marks the end of a tense week in Rhode Island, following a night of violence in downtown Providence late Monday night. A crowd of hundreds gathered at the Providence Place Mall before fanning out throughout downtown, leaving broken windows, looted stores and burned-out vehicles in their wake. In total, approximately 70 people were arrested, most of whom are Rhode Island residents.

Gov. Raimondo denounced the violence, saying it's "not who we are as Rhode Islanders."

"They came here to blow up the Providence Place Mall," she said. "They came here to torch the State House. They came here to destroy much of the city of Providence. And it didn't happen. Because we were prepared."

Several city leaders declared overnight curfews to avoid similar incidents, including Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza, who on Tuesday announced a seven-day curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. On Friday afternoon, Cranston Mayor Allan Fung reinstated the city's curfew, citing safety concerns.

On Friday morning, the governor met with the leaders of the state's Black Lives Matter movement, saying that now is the time for people of privilege, like herself, to take a step back and "listen with humility."

"My hope is that this is a new era of change," Raimondo said.

Read more:

• Rhode Island Works To Make Protests Safer From Coronavirus
  
• Opinion: When Will They Ever Learn?
  
• Aquidneck Island Prepares For Weekend Protests
  
• 'Unequivocally, Black Lives Matter': Raimondo
  
• Cranston Mayor Reinstates Overnight Curfew
• After A High-Tension Night In Rhode Island, 'A Better Morning'
  
• Coventry Rescinds Overnight Curfew
  
• 'A Sad Day For Downtown': Providence Cleans Up Following Violence
  
• Raimondo: Providence Violence Not 'Who We Are As Rhode Islanders'
  
• Overnight Curfews In Place In Cranston, Providence, Warwick