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Protesters gather again Sunday at Colorado Springs City Hall

Protesters gather again Sunday at Colorado Springs City Hall
Protesters gather Saturday in Colorado Springs despite rainy conditions.
Peaceful protests continue with curfew in effect
Posted at 7:11 AM, Jun 05, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-07 20:33:21-04

Editor's note: Social media videos featured in this article are from live events amid protesters using strong language. Viewer discretion is advised.

Hundreds of protesters again took to the streets on Saturday in Colorado Springs.

The nationwide protests demanding justice for George Floyd and several others are simultaneously raising awareness about systemic racism in America, and calling on everyone to take action against it. Many local protesters said some of that racism comes in the form of police brutality, so News5 sat down with the Colorado Springs Police Department to discuss ways they plan on building trust with the community.

Sgt. Jason Newton told News 5's Colette Bordelon that the Colorado Springs Police Department strives to become more proactive rather than reactive, and one of the ways they can do so is by engaging in conversations with community members. Sgt. Newton also told News5 the department goes through anti-bias training, and has worked with local colleges to educate themselves on the intricacies of racism. "What do you stand for when you put this badge on every day? When you go out on the streets? So, we really encourage our officers to think critically about how they're interacting, and how that interaction can change someone's life forever," said Sgt. Newton.

Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers signed an emergency proclamation Wednesday, establishing a citywide curfew between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. each night from Wednesday, June 3, through Monday morning June 8.

News5 watched on Wednesday night as a group of protesters out past the 10 p.m. curfew in Colorado Springs marched through parts of downtown without any conflict between themselves and police.

On Thursday night, organizers hoped for a similar situation, but decided to direct people to go home shortly after 10 to avoid any potential problems with police.

Friday marked the third day with a curfew in Colorado Springs and the evening saw another night of peaceful protests, even with some people out past 10 p.m. News5 spoke with the Colorado Springs Police Department about how this curfew is to be enforced, after no arrests were made on either Wednesday or Thursday. CSPD tells News5 their goal with the curfew is to keep the peace, and they do not want to ticket people if they can avoid it.

News5 will continue to follow the protest locally and provide the latest information here:

Sunday, June 7

5:45 p.m. | Protesters lay face down for nearly nine minutes

Sunday afternoon, protesters all laid down on the grounds of City Hall with their hands behind their backs. The demonstration went on for almost nine minutes, in honor of George Floyd.

As the protesteers arose, they chanted "I can't breathe."

3:00 p.m. Protesters gather again Sunday in Colorado Springs

Protesters have gathered again Sunday at Colorado Springs City Hall. This is the ninth straight day of protests in downtown Colorado Springs.

11:00 a.m. | Thousands march down Colfax in day 11 of Floyd demonstrations in Denver

Led by Denver Public School students, thousands marched along East Colfax Avenue in memory of George Floyd Sunday.

The demonstration started at the Greek Amphitheater in Civic Center Park and moved east along Colfax. The event was one of the largest protests yet.

Denver police were handing out water bottles to marchers in the student-led Black Lives Matter protest Sunday that drew thousands.

9:00 a.m. | CSPD says they want to make productive change with protesters

News5 sat down with the Colorado Springs Police Department to discuss ways they plan on building trust with the community.

Sgt. Jason Newton said there is still hard work to be done, and he hopes this dialogue does not stop when the protests do. He wants community members to be involved in the changes they would like to see made within the department. "We'll try to understand. We know people are fearful, we know people are scared, we know people are outraged, and a lot of time that outrage and fear is directed at us because of what an officer did, and that's understandable, but please give us a chance... Even if you hate me, yell at me, despise me, I will still lay down my life for you, so you can live and your message can be heard... There's still going to be heartache, we can't change that, but we can move forward together," said Sgt. Newton.

Saturday, June 6

11:00 p.m. | Protest ends peacefully

Despite rumors of police converging on the area of the protest, things ended peacefully Saturday night. Many of the protesters left the area around City Hall around the 10 p.m. curfew. A group of less than 100 stayed in the area for a while after the curfew but by 11 p.m., the group had dispersed save for a group of approximately 30 people.

5:45 p.m. | Group of armed individuals attends protest

The News 5 crew covering the protest Saturday reports that a group of armed individuals has come out to the protest. Around 6 p.m. the group was stationed across the street from City Hall, the opposite side of the street from protesters. The group said they are there to protect protesters.

3:00 p.m. | Protest continues in Colorado Springs despite rainy conditions

Protesters have gathered in Colorado Springs for the 8th day in a row.

As of about 3 p.m., protesters have braved the rainy conditions. Strong storms are possible in the are as the day goes on.

12:00 p.m. | Broncos players join protests, lead march through Denver

Broncos players joined planned protests at the State Capitol building in Denver Saturday.

Pushed by safety Kareem Jackson with help from teammates, the event took place at Civic Center Park and included players and coaches wearing T-shirts that read "If you ain't with us, you against us."

They spoke to a large crowd gathered at the Greek Amphitheater before leading them on a march through downtown.

7:00 a.m. |City curfew being used to keep peace, not make arrests

Friday marked the third day with a curfew in Colorado Springs and the evening saw another night of peaceful protests, even with some people out past 10 p.m.

Friday, June 5

7:00 p.m. | People are lighting candles in honor of Breonna Taylor right now outside of City Hall

People are lighting candles in honor of Breonna Taylor outside of City Hall for Taylor's birthday. She would have been 27 on Friday.

2:00 p.m.| Denver curfew expires; city officials won't extend it

The citywide curfew in Denver expired early Friday and officials will not extend the order.

1:45 p.m.| Lawsuit filed against city of Denver demands police temporarily halt use of tear gas, pepper balls

On Thursday, four Denver residents filed a lawsuit against the city claiming Denver Police Department’s actions violated protesters’ constitutional rights, and demanded that DPD temporarily halt the use of tear gas, pepper balls, pepper spray and other non-lethal devices.

7:30 a.m.| Protests end peacefully Thursday, another day expected in Colorado Springs

A citywide curfew in Colorado Springs ended Friday morning as the city expects another day of protests downtown.

7 a.m.| Protest organizers to meet with city leaders

Organizers decided to direct people to go home shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday to avoid any potential problems with police. David Burke, one of the people responsible for keeping the protest under control, said they are scheduled to meet with city leaders on this morning, but the media is not invited to attend. For more on yesterday's protest, click here

More from Thursday night's protest:

Peaceful protests continue past Colorado Springs curfew