Arrests during protest of George Floyd’s death in Rancho Cucamonga
Hundreds gathered and at least 13 people were arrested in Rancho Cucamonga Friday night, May 29th, at a protest over the death of George Floyd, joining others in the region and across the nation.
Floyd, 46 years old, was an unarmed black man who died on May 25th in police custody after a Minneapolis officer kneeled on his neck. The officer was arrested Friday and charged with murder in a case that sparked protests across the United States, including in Los Angeles and in Fontana, where nine were arrested Thursday night.
In Rancho Cucamonga, protesters lined the sidewalks Friday evening holding signs — “We are not trying to start a race war. We are trying to end it,” “Say his name. George Floyd,” — and chanting “No justice. No peace. No racist police,” and “Black lives matter.”
The gathering started peaceful, as about 500 people turned out at the intersection of Foothill and Day Creek boulevards to protest police violence and to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
But tension rose a few hours later, when deputies warned protesters to disperse or they would be arrested. There were 13 arrests as of 11:30 p.m., but it was still an active scene, said Deputy Olivia Bozek, a spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
The charges against those arrested were not immediately known.
As night grew near, the protest started to grow more tense. People began to trickle onto city streets. Some threw water bottles at Sheriff’s Department vehicles driving by the crowd. The vehicles drove away.
Vehicles honked to show their support while passing through the intersection.
At about 7 p.m., Bozek said that the protest had been peaceful.
After then, the water bottles had been thrown, and a Sheriff’s Department helicopter circling overhead told the crowd to disperse, but the protesters remained.
Deputies wearing riot gear and protesters were face-to-face by 8 p.m. on Foothill Boulevard, west of Day Creek. The crowd had begun to dissipate and fewer than 100 protesters remained. The chants continued, but a deputy warned the remainder of the crowd to disperse.
“If you do not immediately disperse, you will be arrested,” he told protesters.
By 10:45 p.m., the area had emptied out.
In Fontana on Thursday, the nine people were arrested when protesters began throwing rocks at businesses, cars and officers, according to police. Officers used foam rounds and tear gas, police said, and the protest cleared up at around midnight.
