Protesters arrested during demonstrations near University of Kentucky campus Saturday
Three protesters were arrested while marching near the University of Kentucky campus Saturday night.
It was the third night in a row that protesters were arrested in Lexington.
While most of the protesters remained on the sidewalk during Saturday’s protest, the three demonstrators who were arrested had linked arms and were marching in one lane of traffic. As the group made its way down Maxwell Street, Lexington police officers on bicycles arrived and took the three into custody.
Six people were arrested during the protest Friday, and four were arrested during Thursday night’s protest.
The protests have been otherwise peaceful as people in Lexington have come out to march in response to Wednesday’s announcement that a Louisville grand jury was indicting just one of the officers involved in the raid that left Breonna Taylor dead, and that those charges were not directly related to her death.
There were no arrests Wednesday, but those arrested Thursday, Friday and Saturday were charged with disorderly conduct. A police spokeswoman said those arrested Friday and Saturday nights will also face a charge of obstructing a highway.
Protesters say they have a right to be in the street.
Before they began Saturday night’s march, organizer April Taylor told those in attendance that she believes police are cracking down on protesters being in the street as an “intimidation” tactic.
“This is not a must. People who want to can take to the street if they want,” she said in a live video shared on LPD Accountability’s Facebook page. But she warned that if they did, they would be risking arrest.
She said a bail support team was available to help anyone arrested get out of jail and get a ride home.
Taylor told protesters that Breonna’s Law, a ban on no-knock warrants, needs to be adopted in Lexington.
Mayor Linda Gorton has put a moratorium on no-knock warrants, but a complete ban has not been issued. As of May, Lexington police said they had not served a no-knock warrant in the previous year.
The group LPD Accountability also wants reforms to prevent Lexington police officers from resigning rather than facing discipline or being fired.
This story was originally published September 26, 2020 at 9:34 PM.
