Protest continues as Arizona's curfew order expired
PHOENIX - Protesters returned to the streets of Downtown Phoenix on Monday, the day Arizona's statewide curfew expired.
The curfew, which was part of an executive order issued by Governor Doug Ducey on May 31, listed a number of exemptions. Gov. Ducey announced the curfew via his Twitter page on May 31.
Gov. Ducey's decision to institute a curfew came amid growing protest over police brutality and recent police-involved deaths. Protests and unrest have taken place in various U.S. cities, including Salt Lake City, the San Francisco Bay Area, Tampa, and Minneapolis, where George Floyd's death occurred.
Despite the end of the curfew, organizers still maintained an 8:00 p.m. end time to their protest. Protestors also vowed to remain peaceful.
“The movement will still stand. We appreciate the curfew being lifted. I think that speaks huge, considering we’ve been peaceful. With that being said, no real change has been done yet so the protests will still continue," said organizer Khiry Wilson.
A familiar feel to the march
Like other marches, it started off smaller at Phoenix City Hall in downtown, and then got bigger as protestors made their way up the street.
"Everybody has their rest days, but we still have numbers, that goes to show it’s still important to people," said Wilson.
When protestors arrived at the State Capitol, their focus shifted. They gathered around a Confederate monument in Wesley Bolin Plaza, demanding it be taken down.
On Monday, it was reported that the Arizona Secretary of State, Katie Hobbs, is calling for the Department of Administration to remove the Confederate monument inside Wesley Bolin Plaza.
"This is a monument that was erected to honor soldiers who role up against our country, doing treason to protect the practice of slavery, and these monuments around the country were erected during the time of the Civil Rights Movement as a form of intimidation, and it really has no place in Arizona," said Hobbs. "Arizona wasn't even a state at the time of the Civil War. The question should be why is this monument in Arizona?"
Protestors then moved on and kept their vow. There would be another night with no violence.