CHP clears protesters at Capitol after thousands join daylong rally in downtown Sacramento

One of the largest marches in Sacramento’s recent history unfolded through the streets of downtown Saturday. It was the ninth consecutive day of marches and demonstrations over the in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The rally came a day after an extraordinary “die-in” by protesters near Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg’s home.

The march, organized by the NAACP and other groups, first went past the state Capitol and then north to Cesar E. Chavez Plaza, where an estimated 4,000 people swarmed the two-acre park to hear speeches from Steinberg, Kings chairman Vivek Ranadive, and others.

Steinberg, who had been berated at Chavez Plaza a few days earlier, drew cheers when he announced the City Council was preparing to lift the curfew that took effect Monday following two nights of violence in downtown and midtown.

As the march wound down, about 1,000 protesters then moved to the east side of the Capitol, where about 100 activists hopped a California Highway Patrol barricade blocking the east steps.

CHP commissioner Warren Stanley went outside and met with the group to hear their concerns. By 8 p.m., the group had cleared out and moved to Cesar Chavez park, where they were greeted with a festive atmosphere of dancing and music.

8 p.m.: Evening activities continue at Cesar Chavez Plaza

Continuing past what would have been the curfew the night before, a few hundred people remained at Cesar Chavez Plaza, but the atmosphere continued to be festive instead of tense. The remaining few hundred protesters danced and listened to live music.

Organizers said they were calling for a second DJ to take the stage. The performers have stopped a few times to share information about legal help, getting out the vote against President Donald Trump and letting local elected officials know that police brutality and racism is wrong.

6:15 p.m.: CHP begins to clear protesters from behind barricades

California Highway Patrol officers forced out the remaining 60 who had jumped the barricades blocking the east steps of the Capitol earlier in the afternoon, detaining at least two of them.

For a moment, things got tense and officers pulled out their batons. A couple of officers raised their firearms when it appeared something had been thrown toward them.

The officers forced the crowd out, and the remaining protesters largely dissipated.

Meanwhile, a group of several hundred protesters marched from the Capitol to Cesar Chavez Park, where the vibe had turned concert-like.

A performer rapped to music as people in the crowd held their arms up and danced.

5:30 p.m: National Guard returns to downtown

Sacramento might have ended its curfew, but the National Guard hasn’t gone home.

After being largely invisible throughout the day, Humvees and camo-clad troops carrying rifles were showing up at sites where protests have converged in the past.

A small group of guards members stood guard at Golden 1 Center after it had been open all day. About a dozen also gathered behind a concrete barricade placed in the road at I Street in front of the Sacramento County jail, the site of much of the tension last Saturday that spilled over into looting and vandalism later in the night.

Two large troop transport vehicles were parked at Sacramento City Hall. More trucks guarded Sacramento County Superior Court and the district attorney’s office.

5 p.m.: Capitol crowd shrinks as CHP commissioner agrees to meeting

California Highway Patrol Commissioner Warren Stanley agreed to formally meet with activists next week after speaking with a handful of protesters inside the Capitol building.

“We’re going to talk about the role of the CHP and how we can better engage with the community,” Stanley told The Sacramento Bee after he briefly spoke to the crowd.

Earlier, Stanley said he was just as appalled as the protesters at the video showing the Minneapolis police officer with his knee on George Floyd’s neck. Warren told them that every time he watches it, he shouts at the officer to get off Floyd’s neck so the man breathe.

Around the time Stanley was speaking, the Sacramento Police Department issued a statement saying it was going to discontinue having its officers use what’s known as the “carotid control hold” to subdue suspects.

Anthony Smith, 51, of Sacramento, said he hoped the announcement would be the beginning of necessary changes in police tactics.

“I think it makes a difference. It’s a start in the right direction. It’s still a long way to go,” he said. “At least they’re listening and making some needed changes.”

Meanwhile, the crowd at the Capitol was beginning to get smaller. Earlier there were 1,000 people around the 100 protesters who hopped the CHP barricades blocking the east steps. By 5 p.m., it had shrunk to 350 or so.

4 p.m.: Activists stay put after meeting with CHP commissioner

The protesters who accompanied the CHP commissioner Warren Stanley into the Capitol building emerged saying they had a cordial talk with him, but the 100 activists who hopped the barricades showed no signs of moving.

Jamarri Lovejoy, one of the activists who spoke with the commissioner, said the meeting was friendly and went well, but that the group’s primary grievances are with the Sacramento Police Department.

“More than anything, that’s the CHP in there,” Lovejoy said. “There’s not too much they can do. We need Sac PD. We need to get in contact with Sac PD.”

While the activists showed no sign of leaving, the crowd was much calmer than the groups that gathered at the site a week earlier. Last Saturday, some threw bottles and oranges at the officers manning the barricades, while others in the crowd sprayed graffiti.

Just after 4:15 p.m., a group of CHP officers moved into the crowd to carry away a teenage boy who may have suffered heat exhaustion. They carried him into the Capitol for medical care.

3:30 p.m.: Protesters give speeches

The California Highway Patrol hasn’t rousted the 100 or so protesters who hopped the barricades at the east steps of the Capitol. Instead, the officers watched along with 1,000 protesters around the perimeter, as the activists gave impassioned speeches over a loud speaker.

“Who are the racists in your department?” one man shouted to the CHP officers blocking access to the Capitol building itself. “Figure it out. That’s your job.”

At one point, a woman with a lovely voice sang “Amazing Grace” and the crowd joined in along with someone playing a trumpet.

“At the end of the day, I know there is someone in there who is really listening,” said Lelonnie Cotto-Davis, a 23-year-old from Sacramento, pointing towards the lines of CHP officers. “But one if you are with the movement you have to come to this side.”

Many speakers asked the officers to take a knee.

“If you knew how much healing you could start if you took a (expletive) knee,” said Joshua Carter, 35, of Sacramento. ”I understand you got to work. I understand you gotta pay the bills. But one day your kids are gonna watch the tape and they’re gonna say. That’s my dad, Officer Williams, and he didn’t take a (expletive) knee.”

CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley had yet to emerge from inside the building after he’d gone in with some protesters to have a discussion.

2:50 p.m.: CHP chief takes group of protesters inside Capitol

After chatting for more than a half hour with clusters of protesters who hopped the fence guarding the Capitol, California Highway Patrol Commissioner Warren Stanley took a handful of demonstrators inside the building with him to continue their discussion about law enforcement tactics.

As they talked inside, nearly 100 or so demonstrators knelt down on the ground right by the steps on the east side of the building. Protesters took turns talking into a loudspeaker. The group showed no signs of heading back over the fence any time soon.

Roughly 1,000 people massed at the east side after a rally that attracted several thousand people broke up at Cesar E. Chavez Plaza. The protest at the Capitol had been peaceful but intensified after dozens hopped the fence, prompting Stanley, accompanied by several CHP officers but not wearing riot gear, waded into the crowd to discuss police conduct.

The protesters didn’t appear to be mollified by Stanley’s statement that he and other CHP officers were horrified by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. “The actions have got to follow up with what he said,” said one marcher who spoke with him, Chris Thomas.

Several of the demonstrators complained to Stanley about being tear-gassed and sprayed with rubber bullets. Stanley said it was city police, not the CHP, who had used those tactics.

2:16 p.m.: CHP chief answers questions from protesters

In a dramatic moment in front of the Capitol, California Highway Patrol Commissioner Warren Stanley waded into a crowd of demonstrators who hopped a fence guarding the east side of the building and engaged in a debate over police tactics with several of them.

One protester demanded to know about police conduct in south Sacramento, and wanted to know about the “release of detained civilians” who had been arrested after protests. Stanley said he didn’t have information about that. A handful of CHP officers accompanied Stanley.

After several minutes, Stanley, speaking over a loudspeaker, said, “I appreciate the conversation” but added that demonstrators needed to return to their side of the fence.

“You go back, we’ll go back,” he said.

Some in the crowd began complying with his request, as Stanley continued chatting privately with four or five of the protesters.

1:50 p.m.: More protesters hop Capitol fence as CHP chief speaks

After a group of about 50 protesters vaulted the barrier ringing the east steps of the Capitol, the commissioner of the CHP, Warren Stanley, and his assistant commissioner Amanda Ray strode out to the crowd in an effort to de-escalate the situation.

Neither was wearing a helmet or other riot gear.

“Everybody wants justice but ... I do want you to know is that, for myself and the 11,000 other employees of CHP, none of us agree with what happened to Mr. Floyd. That was not right. Totally unacceptable,” Stanley said over a loudspeaker.

“We respect the right of people to protest and we hope that’s all you want,” he said.

He added that anyone who comes into contact with the CHP would be treated fairly. The crowd hooted at that.

About 1,000 people have gathered at the east steps for nearly an hour after the end of a massive rally at Cesar E. Chavez Plaza.

1:42 p.m.: City Council votes to lift curfew

The Sacramento City Council voted during an emergency meeting Saturday to lift the nightly curfew that has been imposed on residents for five days, a response to last weekend’s destruction in the wake of nonviolent protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.

City Councilman Steve Hansen, in a post on Twitter, said just after 1:30 p.m. that the council voted 8-1 to ending the curfew. Councilman Larry Carr — who represents Meadowview, Parkway and Valley Hi/North Laguna — was the lone “no” vote.

Carr told The Sacramento Bee that although he appreciates the peaceful protesters who have brought intensity to their advocacy, he believes that bad actors taking advantage of the situation still pose a threat to the safety of businesses in the community.

“There are opportunists in our area who are willing to take advantage of our protests,” Carr said.

He would have preferred to see a curfew enacted from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. through the weekend — which he said may bring out more agitators as opposed to protests during the week.

1:38 p.m.: Protester hops fence at Capitol but calm restored

One of the 1,000 or so protesters hopped the fence guarding the east steps of the Capitol. A dozen California Highway Patrol officers in riot gear charged at him, and he retreated into the crowd. A few of the other protesters lobbed water bottles at the CHP officers, who went back inside the building.

The demonstrators began chanting, “Peaceful protest.”

1:10 p.m.: Sacramento crowd dissipates but 1,000 protest at Capitol

Nearly three hours after it began with thousands marching from Golden 1 Center, a massive demonstration against police brutality began winding down.

But not completely.

As thousands streamed out of Cesar E. Chavez Plaza, an estimated 1,000 protesters stopped at the east side of the Capitol, where they began chanting, “No justice, no peace” in front of the east steps. They took a knee and repeated the names of police brutality victims.

About two dozen California Highway Patrol officers in riot gear walked out onto the east steps. The crowd began booing and two minutes later the CHP officers headed back inside the building. The crowd cheered. A handful of CHP officers remained but without helmets, standing in front of the doors.

Meanwhile, about two dozen protesters gathered on the west side of the Capitol, while others continued heading home or taking selfies. And 200 people were still at Chavez Plaza, where volunteers were handing out Gatorade and oranges and music played over the sound system.

12:30 p.m.: Police say no arrests from Friday night’s protests

Sacramento police spokesman Karl Chan said no one was arrested after dual protests over the George Floyd killing.

Thousands gathered in Mayor Darrell Steinberg’s neighborhood for an extended “die-in.” Hundreds more were at Cesar E. Chavez Plaza to honor the birthday of Broenna Taylor, a black woman killed by police in Louisville two months ago.

Police have only detained a handful of curfew violators since Wednesday; no one has been arrested since then for vandalism, according to previous Bee reporting.

11:45 a.m.: Mayor vows to lift Sacramento curfew

Mayor Darrell Steinberg took the stage at Chavez Plaza and announced to cheers: “Today at 1 o’clock we’re lifting the curfew.”

Steinberg, who’s scheduled an emergency City Council meeting at 1 p.m. to rescind the curfew and dismiss the National Guard, told thousands that genuine change is coming, and he thanked the crowd for demonstrating.

“My heart today is soaring but my heart is also hurting .... I love our beautiful and imperfect city.” He told people to “oust Donald Trump from the White House” and then made an impassioned speech about his personal struggles to understand white privilege and the need for change.

“I know words help but only action heals,” he said.

It was a marked contrast from the other day, when Steinberg arrived at the shrine at Chavez park and was roundly criticized by speakers about police response to the Floyd protests.

11:09 a.m.: Kings’ owner leads crowd in taking a knee

Vivek Ranadive, chairman of the Sacramento Kings, took the microphone at Cesar E. Chavez Plaza and led the enormous throng in taking a silent knee — the symbol of the protests against police brutality.

Then he proclaimed, “We have just one message: Black Lives Matter,” eliciting a cheer.

Ranadive marched to the plaza with team general manager Vlade Divac and ex-player Matt Barnes. Another ex-King, Bobby Jackson, told the crowd: “You’ve got to go vote. You have a voice. .... Use that voice.”

Barnes took the microphone as well and called the two nights of vandalism unfortunate but said they helped get people’s attention. “They hear us finally,” he said. He urged the crowd to defeat President Donald Trump at the polls in November but added that it’s important to vote in local elections, too.

Standing by the side of the stage was Stevante Clark, brother of the slain Stephon Clark, holding a sign urging the recall of District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert, who declined to prosecute the police officers who shot his brother in 2018.

Latoya Nunn, a Sacramento resident, brought her three children. It was the first time any had attended a rally, but Nunn said it was time to start. “We’re tired of the injustice, we’re tired of not having our voices heard.” She said she’s been overwhelmed by the crowd’s support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

“I cried when we first got to the Golden 1 Center,” Nunn said. “So many people from different backgrounds coming together with one voice.”

“Black lives matter!” Nunn’s 6-year-old son Bryan piped up. “Yes, son!” His mother responded with a laugh.

10:43 a.m.: Speeches, prayers begin at Chavez Plaza

Thousands of marchers filled Sacramento’s Cesar E. Chavez Plaza after a march that went past the Capitol and businesses that had been boarded up following two nights of vandalism. But the plywood was covered in murals and peaceful messages, and the vibe was entirely peaceful as the morning’s program unfolded at Chavez Plaza.

“I stand in solidarity with those who have had enough,” Pastor Alice Baber-Banks, of Christian Fellowship Ministry Church, said in an invocation that kicked off the proceedings. “In spite of the situation we still have faith.”

Among those spotted on the stage at the north end of the plaza was Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and Police Chief Daniel Hahn. Also in attendance was a contingent representing the Kings: chairman Vivek Ranadive, general manager Vlade Divac and former player Matt Barnes, all of whom marched.

Filmmaker Deon Taylor, who organized the protest, told the diverse crowd that the cause of fighting police brutality transcended race: “This is about humanity....It doesn’t matter what color you are.”

Nearby, Kailee Lewis was helping pass out protest kits to demonstrators - little ziplock bags filled with water, permanent markers, Bandaids and more. She was joined by her sisters from local chapters of Zeta Phi Beta, a historically black sorority.

“It’s mixed emotions. On the one hand, being at a protest and knowing what’s been happening,” she said. “Personally, a part of me is always worried for my safety and my daughter and husband. And at the same time, to know the community is here.”

10:27 a.m.: Thousands snake through downtown Sacramento

A crowd growing by the minute marched around the Capitol and headed north to Cesar E. Chavez Plaza, the site of numerous protests throughout the week. Within minutes the two-acre plaza was completely filled with people of all races and ages, chanting the names of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the black woman shot to death by Louisville police two months ago. Black balloons were released into the sky. The plaza was the scene of a birthday party for Taylor Friday night.

The peaceful crowd was so huge - easily one of the largest demonstrations Sacramento has seen in years - that hundreds of people were still waiting at the starting point, by Golden 1 Center, by the time the lead marchers reached Chavez Plaza. The makeshift shrine at the plaza was filled with protest signs that have been added throughout the week.

10:06 a.m.: ‘Fist in the air’ as march begins; Kings join in

A crowd of 2,000 and growing began making its way south on 7th Street as the march to the Capitol got underway. Hundreds of late arriving people lined the sidewalks, waiting for the march to pass them by, so they could join at the tail end. The crowd marched around the Capitol area, striding past the giant “Black Lives Matter” painted on the grassy median of Capitol Mall.

A hoarse-sounding Stevante Clark, brother of the late Stephon Clark and a protest leader, exhorted the peaceful throng to “put your fist in the f------- air.” Former Kings player Matt Barnes, who led rallies in Stephon Clark’s honor after he was killed by police in 2018, was spotted in the crowd. Near the front of the line were Kings chairman Vivek Ranadive and the team’s general manager Vlade Divac.

The Kings became partners with protest leaders after Clark’s killing even though demonstrators ringed the arena and prevented most fans from attending two Kings home games in 2018.

There was a peaceful vibe; the police presence largely consisted of officers clearing the streets of vehicle traffic to make way for the marchers. Some California Highway Patrol officers were stationed on the Capital grounds but weren’t wearing riot helmets, unlike previous protests.

9:46 a.m. More than 1,000 arrive at Golden 1

A crowd estimated at 1,000 and growing was assembling on the east side of Downtown Commons, by Golden 1 Center, for the start of a march to the Capitol to protest the killing of George Floyd.

Organizers were handing out masks and urging marchers to practice social distancing to quell the spread of COVID-19, and it was working to a certain extent. Marchers were standing in place all the way past the arena and toward the western end of the plaza.

9:36 a.m. Sacramento prepares to lift curfew

Mayor Darrell Steinberg’s office announced the City Council would meet this afternoon and consider lifting the nearly weeklong curfew and dismissing the National Guard

“Today the City Council will meet in emergency session at 1 p.m. It is my intention to recommend to the Council that the curfew be lifted immediately and that the National Guard no longer be deployed in our city,” the mayor said in a prepared statement. “Last night’s peaceful and powerful demonstrations give me confidence that these steps, which we took reluctantly, are no longer necessary.”

More than 2,000 protesters held a peaceful vigil three blocks from his home Friday night.

9:32 a.m. Support for Colin Kaepernick

One protester arriving at Golden 1, Antelope resident Fernando Gomez, brought a homemade poster bearing a likeness of former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, whose career effectively ended soon after he pioneered the practice of taking a knee during the National Anthem to protest police brutality.

The National Football League issued a statement Friday saying it was wrong “for not listening to NFL players earlier” about racism.

Gomez wasn’t buying it, dismissing the NFL’s statement as “hollow words.” His sign also carried a message denouncing President Donald Trump.

8:48 a.m.: Protesters begin arriving at Golden 1

Sacramento resident Omar Helton was among the earliest arriving for the march, saying he felt compelled to participate after a tense week in the city.

“We’re doing it for George Floyd, we’re doing it for everybody who’s been murdered at the hands of corrupt PD,” he said in an interview at the Downtown Commons plaza, where the arena is located. “We hope it’s a peaceful rally, a peaceful march. All creeds, all colors.”

Everywhere downtown there were reminders of two nights of vandalism last weekend. Plywood on store windows carried the stenciled message, “Don’t Destroy. Demonstrate.” At DoCo, boxes of donated T-shirts were available with slogans such as “Unite to Create Change. Bewoke Vote.”

There were no police officers in sight at DoCo, but a handful of California Highway Patrol officers were at the Capitol, along with three National Guard humvees along the west side of the building. Later, a National Guard troop truck was seen headed toward Golden 1.

J.B. Brown, president of a motorcycle club called Hit’em Hard, said his 13 members would walk with the marchers to help keep the crowd safe. “Anybody who runs up, we back ’em down,” he said. “It’s all about uplifting the community.”

He said he didn’t expect any trouble but “if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.”

5:17 a.m.: Peace officers call for change

The Peace Officers Research Association of California, one of the leading law enforcement lobbying groups, said the police reforms enacted in California last year should become the national standard.

Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 392 after two years of protests in Sacramento over the fatal police shooting of Stephon Clark, an unarmed black man. The law allows police to use lethal force only if it’s considered “necessary” in the face of an imminent threat. The previous standard allowed officers to shoot someone if they had a “reasonable” belief it was necessary.

The new law was a compromise brokered by law enforcement lobbyists and civil rights groups. The signing ceremony on the steps of the Capitol was attended by, among others, Clark’s brother Stevante, who has become a leading voice in the protests over Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis.

“George Floyd was a man in distress and crying out for help, and his death should not have happened,” said Brian Marvel, president of the Peace Officers Research Association. “It is time for America to adopt a national use of force standard, to mandate that all peace officers have a duty to intercede, to raise the bar for use of force training standards for all peace officers in every city and state across this country.”

More coverage

• Exclusive: Sacramento mayor expects substantial changes in police department policies
• ‘A long day’: Sacramento pastor with Twin Cities roots joins in George Floyd’s goodbye

• Sacramento teen struck by rubber bullet during downtown protests undergoes jaw surgery

• Folsom player apologizes and resigns from football team after social media racial chats

This story was originally published June 6, 2020 at 9:22 AM.