Editing 2020 Racial Justice Protests (section)

== The Protests ==

Protests began in Philadelphia on May 30, 2020, five days after Floyd's murder. Initial marches through Center City drew thousands of participants who chanted "Black Lives Matter," "I Can't Breathe," and demands for police accountability. The protests were diverse—Black, white, and Latino participants; young and old; residents of city and suburbs. Many were protesting for the first time in their lives. The scale reflected both anger about Floyd's murder and accumulated frustrations with racial inequality, economic insecurity, and the pandemic that had upended normal life.<ref name="leblanc"/>

Some protests turned violent. On May 30 and 31, looting struck stores along Chestnut Street and in other commercial areas. West Philadelphia saw significant property destruction. Police clashed with protesters on Interstate 676, deploying tear gas against crowds that included peaceful demonstrators. The violence damaged the protest movement's public support while raising questions about police tactics that seemed to escalate rather than calm tensions. Mayor [[Jim Kenney]] imposed a citywide curfew and requested National Guard assistance. The Guard patrolled Philadelphia streets for several days before withdrawing as protests remained largely peaceful.<ref name="taylor"/>