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I want to walk through what happened this past weekend following the No Kings Rally in Downtown Memphis.
Background info: A public assembly permit was issued for a gathering at Robert Church Park. That permit allowed for a rally and resource fair within the park, including space for speakers, organized activities, and community engagement. Important details to note: That permit did not include a parade route, a march through downtown, or any street closures.
The rally in Church Park was peaceful and well attended. There were no issues between organizers, attendees, or law enforcement. At the end of the rally, some of the attendees began moving onto Beale Street. Although that action was not in accordance with the permit, Beale was closed to vehicular traffic at the time, so officers allowed it, as Beale Street, when closed, is a space where people can gather and move safely.
When the group reached 2nd Street, that dynamic changed. Rather than turn around on Beale, the group headed onto an active roadway.
At that point, Memphis Police Department officers, acting to protect the safety of the marchers, began directing people to move out of the street and onto the sidewalks. Those directions were not followed by the marchers. For nearly 40 minutes, the back-and-forth escalated, as the marchers refused to leave the street. Ultimately, the situation ended in a confrontation that none of us wanted.
 Click image above to see full permit.
We, as your city government, support the right to peacefully assemble. We believe it is important. That is not up for debate.
However, when people move into an open street without coordination, things can turn quickly. Across our country, there have been numerous incidents in which frustrated, confused, or even ill-intentioned drivers have driven into crowds. In tense moments, that risk is real. It is not something any of us wants to see here. And this is the danger that our officers were working to solve, and this is the risk that the marchers allowed, as they repeatedly ignored the call of officers to get out of the street.
This is why we require accurate permits.
If this rally was intended to include a march, which now appears to be the case as they had outfitted parade marshals, the organizers should have filed a parade permit. If a protest is going to move into the street, we can plan for it. We can close roads. We can redirect traffic. We can put officers in the right places so people can both move safely and be heard.
We have public assembly permits for a reason, and it isn’t to stop assembly; it is to ensure the safety of not only the protestors but the entire public, manage traffic, and ensure adequate city services for large gatherings.
We are reviewing what happened on Saturday. We are taking the situation seriously and will respond with great care for our greater community.
We will always support peaceful assembly in Memphis. We will also insist that it is done in a way that keeps everyone safe.
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