George Floyd protests 5 years later: A night that shook Cleveland
Five years ago, the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer set off full-scale protests in cities around the country, including Cleveland.
Why it matters: Several hours of violence and civil unrest downtown changed the way law enforcement handled public demonstrations moving forward.
Flashback: In the early afternoon on May 30, 2020 — five days after Floyd's death — more than 1,000 people descended the Free Stamp downtown, according to the city of Cleveland's detailed accounting of events.
By 3pm, a growing crowd had marched to the Justice Center on Ontario Street, home of police headquarters.
Within the next hour, protesters began hitting windows at the Justice Center and throwing garbage cans, bottles and eggs at officers gathered in front of the building.
Officers used pepper ball canisters, pepper spray and rubber bullets to try to push protesters back.
Yes, but: Violence escalated with protesters reportedly attacking officers and setting fire to police vehicles.
Just after 4pm, police chief Calvin Williams ordered all active officers to go downtown in full riot gear.
The big picture: As violence continued at the Justice Center, riots spread to areas including West 6th Street and Public Square.
Over the next several hours, businesses, vehicles and other properties throughout downtown were looted and vandalized. There were reports of people wielding weapons, including guns.
Mayor Frank Jackson issued a downtown curfew that went into effect at 8pm. An hour later, Williams ordered officers to arrest anyone still downtown.
Rioting continued until police had cleared most of downtown around midnight. More than 70 people were arrested, according to the city's report.
What they said:"I believe we did the job that we needed to do at that time," Jackson said during a briefing the following day.
"Were there lessons learned? Yes. Could we do things better now than we did then? Yes. Did we desire a better outcome? Yes. But what happened, happened. And our police officers stepped up and did their job."
💭 My thought bubble: Watching the events of May 30 via live feeds on social media was surreal.
Cleveland resembled what you would see watching documentaries on the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
The aftermath
In February 2021, the team monitoring Cleveland Police's adherence to the 2015 consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice to reform the police division, filed a report on the events of May 30.
State of play: An investigation found inconsistencies in the police reporting its use of force and inconsistent use of body cameras.
In 2022, Cleveland was ordered to pay a $540,000 civil settlement to a dozen arrested protesters.
Between the lines: It was also determined that police were not adequately prepared to handle such protests, especially given that other similar demonstrations had already occurred around the country.
The Downtown Cleveland Alliance reported that over 100 businesses suffered more than $6 million in riot damages.
In 2023, the Cleveland Division of Police revised its policies in dealing with civil disturbances.
An order called for police to "protect constitutional rights related to assembly and free speech, effectively manage crowds to prevent loss of life, injury, or property damage and minimize disruptions to persons who are not involved."
By some accounts, local progress on police reform has been slow, though steady in recent years.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration's recent desire to end consent decrees has cast uncertainty about the future of police reform in several cities.
Yes, but: While unveiling the city's 2025 summer safety plan, Mayor Justin Bibb reasserted a focus on police reform and accountability.
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