Asheville Protests Monday: Tear gas deployed after fireworks thrown, shots fired

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Blasts from what appeared to be fireworks send protestors and police scrambling in downtown Asheville Monday night as hundreds gathered for the second night of protests as demonstrators call for justice following the killing of George Floyd.

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There were other explosions downtown as police fired tear gas at demonstrators, sending mass numbers of people running through the streets.

The protests that started peaceful Tuesday night again turned tense as officers used more forceful measures to control the crowd overnight.

Early Tuesday morning, our News 13 crews found streets lined with glass and graffiti after businesses were damaged overnight. The front glass of the Urban Outfitters on Haywood Street completely busted out with what appears to be bullet holes.

Monday’s protest started peacefully with many gatherings in the afternoon in downtown Asheville at the Vance Memorial.

Our News 13 crews watched as demonstrators periodically moved down the line of Asheville Police officers, shaking hands and hugging the officers. Hours later the SWAT team was called in to break up the masses of people after the demonstration turned violent.

At around 10:30 p.m. unknown individuals began launching fireworks into the large crowds of people to which law enforcement responded with tear gas. The fireworks continued for much of the night along with reports of multiple gunshots being fired throughout the city.

News 13 spoke with Delores Venable with Asheville Black Lives Matter Tuesday morning. “We have supported protests that were held peacefully. We do understand that what we’re seeing is some outside agitators that are coming in and using these protests as a way to disrupt and push their own agendas," said Venable. "We realize a lot of these incidents we are seeing at the protests are not people who are part of the original protests that started."

“What matters the most is the brutality that black people have suffered from policing in this country. We want to push that we are trying to overcome years of oppression," continued Venable. "In this country, we have not seen a very big racial shift in the last hundred years even though the civil rights movement in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. We still have not gotten to the level of equality that people in this country should have."

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Protests began Sunday, May 31, 2020, as demonstrators shut down both directions of Interstate-240 near Merrimon Avenue as they marched into downtown Asheville.

At around 10:30 p.m. there were multiple reports of a firecracker or smoke bomb going off at the Vance Monument where police had formed a line to stop the protestors.

At around 12:20 a.m. protesters cheered as Asheville Police took a knee in a showing of solidarity in front of the police station.

Sunday's protest in Asheville started at Vance Memorial about 6 p.m. and ended around 2:30 a.m. Monday morning. When the situation settled, tear gas had been used and four local people had been arrested.

This is a developing story. Check back at wlos.com for the latest updates.

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