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Louisville police arrest 64 people during Breonna Taylor protest

By Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Breonna Taylor protests in Louisville Protesters march in Louisville on Tuesday in support of Breonna Taylor. (Amy Harris/Invision/Associated Press)

By Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Police in Louisville, Kentucky, arrested 64 people Tuesday during a large-scale demonstration protesting the death of Breonna Taylor in March.

The demonstration was the final portion of BreonnaCon, a four-day event meant to draw attention to her case, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported. The crowd marched from a Louisville park to the police department’s training center before winding up at Churchill Downs, WLKY reported.

“We want to respect the right for people to express their First Amendment rights, but we also have to ensure public safety for the whole community and the protesters themselves,” Louisville Metro Police Department Interim Chief Robert Schroeder said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon. 

Until Freedom, a national social justice group, organized the march, WDRB reported. The group dubbed the event “Good Trouble Tuesday” and promised “civil disobedience,” the television station reported. The group organized a July sit-in on the lawn of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s home, the Courier-Journal reported.

Linda Sarsour, a co-founder of Until Freedom, was among those arrested, the newspaper reported. 

Protesters and police dispersed at about 6 p.m. Some of the protesters placed a banner honoring Taylor over one of the entry signs at Churchill Downs, WLKY reported.

Three officers served a warrant at Taylor’s house on March 13, and one of at least two officers fired weapons, killing the 26-year-old. LMPD Officer Brett Hankison was fired for his role in the fatal shooting.

Since Taylor’s death, Louisville has banned no-knock warrants, WLKY reported.

Gov. Andy Beshear told reporters at his daily briefing that Louisville’s police officials were in communication with Kentucky State Police in case the agency needed assistance. Beshear said that while some people may be tiring of protests, the facts need to be revealed.

“We need some finality in this investigation,” Beshear told reporters. “Ms. Taylor’s family deserves to know the truth.”


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