Back-to-back protests at the Duval County Courthouse

Thousands of protesters met in Downtown Jacksonville on Saturday, June 7, for two back to back protests over incidents of police violence. This was the seventh day of protests in Jacksonville following the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis.

The first protest began at about 2 p.m.; as loudspeakers are not allowed on the courthouse lawn, the organizers improvised by setting up the sound system and medical tent across the street on the sidewalk and parking lot. Organizers led a march to the State Attorney’s Office and back. The protest focused largely on State Attorney Melissa Nelson, issuing a list of demands including the release of police body camera footage, the release of protesters jailed the previous weekend, and the prosecution of police officers involved in shootings. The protest drew several thousand people. Organizers claimed 10,000 people were present, which would put the march in the running for the largest civil rights protest in Jacksonville history.

After the crowd returned to the Courthouse, many protesters briefly stood in the middle of the street until marshals moved them back to allow traffic through. Most of the protesters dispersed after the initial program, at about 4:30, remaining demonstrators and some newcomers proceeded on a second march. Both protests remained peaceful with no reported incidents between demonstrators and police.

Scenes from the protest

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Next page: More scenes from the June 6 protest