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Demonstrators took to the streets of Las Vegas over the weekend to protest the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis last week after police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes as Floyd pleaded he couldn’t breathe. While most of the demonstrations in Las Vegas were peaceful, two ended with police releasing tear gas and using armored vehicles to break up the crowds.
A protest on Saturday in Downtown Las Vegas grew to 1,500 who marched the streets in Fremont East and along Las Vegas Boulevard next to the Fremont Street Experience. Several bars closed for the night, including Downtown Cocktail Room, Park on Fremont, and Commonwealth to keep staff and patrons safe. Don’t Tell Mama, The Cat’s Meow karaoke bar, Notoriety, The Nerd bar, and Banger Brewing at Neonopolis all planned to open on Saturday night but closed with news of the protest.
Some protestors spray-painted graffiti on El Cortez, the casino on Fremont Street, along with vegetarian restaurant VegeNation and beer haven Eureka! Natalie Young, the chef and owner of Eat, asked friends to help her board up her breakfast and lunch restaurant ahead of the protest.
The protest grew in size after starting around 7 p.m. at the Downtown Container Park, and clashes between advancing police and protestors caused protestors to run. Later, Metro Lt. Frank Humel told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that as the crowd grew in size, some demonstrators became violent. “Protesters have vandalized cars, broken windows, and continue to throw objects including Molotov cocktails,” he told the newspaper. “It was necessary to deploy CS gas.”
Restaurants in Downtown Summerlin and at Red Rock Resort closed at 5 p.m. on Sunday night after another protest planned to take place at the outdoor shopping center. About 100 people gathered Sunday in a relatively peaceful protest as police stood guard in front of the entrances to the massive retail center.
Flock & Fowl, the Hainan chicken restaurant from two-time James Beard Foundation semi-finalist for Best Chef West Sheridan Su, offered diners discounts for bringing in tear gas canisters on Sunday.
The restaurant offered a free PBR can for an empty tear gas canister and 10 percent off a meal if the canister was full.
“Our post about the tear gas canisters is our attempt to be light-hearted in an otherwise dreary situation. Our employees have been locked in the building for their safety, so we got to see first-hand what this tragedy has caused,” the restaurant wrote on Instagram.
“Flock & Fowl absolutely does not make light of the situations that brought this country to these riots, nor the tragic death of George Floyd.
“We believe in justice. We believe in peaceful protesting. We hope for nothing but the overall safety of everyone. ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.’ — Martin Luther King”
On Friday night, between 200 and 300 protestors gathered on the Las Vegas Strip, resulting in 80 arrests and 12 officers injured, FOX5 news reports.
Another protest on the Las Vegas Strip in front of Mandalay Bay on Sunday night ended with police releasing tear gas and firing nonlethal rounds on the crowd.
• Black Lives Matter protest chaotic, police use tear gas in downtown Las Vegas [LVRJ]
• Armored police use tear gas on protesters in downtown Las Vegas [FOX5 News]
• Police use tear gas to control protest on Las Vegas Strip [LVS]
