Louisville Metro Police and protesters clashed again Thursday night.
LMPD Acting Chief Robert Schroeder says there were reports of fireworks and explosions downtown shortly after 11 p.m. and the department released videos to that effect. Because of that, officers moved in to clear Jefferson Square Park temporarily. Later in the night, Schroeder says officers had bottles thrown at them and moved in to clear the park again.
“We continue to value the voices of those who come to peacefully protest and demonstrate their feelings,” he said. “But we simply cannot tolerate the destruction we saw last night, the violence we saw last night.”
Schroeder says there were also several fires set, including a large dumpster fire downtown and a tree in the Highlands that Schroeder said was set on fire by people participating in a caravan of protesters. He said officers used pepper balls and an acoustical device to disperse the crowds. There were 56 arrests as of this morning, with charges including failure to disperse and disorderly conduct.
Thursday was the 22nd consecutive night of protests in Louisville related to the deaths of Breonna Taylor in Louisville and George Floyd in Minneapolis — both Black people killed by police officers. Many of the nights have been peaceful, as protesters have gathered in Jefferson Square Park and sometimes marched around the city. But there have also been instances of violence and destruction, and on several occasions police have used tear gas and pepper balls to control the crowds.
