Statement from Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan on the George Floyd Tragedy & the Unfortunate Events of Last Night:
Like you, my thoughts have been heavy as we watched the tragedy of George Floyd's death.
This past weekend we saw members of our community peacefully gather to share their collective grief and outrage which was moving and inspiring. Last night, June 1
st
, was not. What happened in our City last night was not a protest; it was an orchestrated and planned act of violence. The individuals who took to our City streets last night to wreak havoc and destruction were not honoring the memory of George Floyd or any of the others who have died. I want to thank the amazing men and women of our police department and the other agencies that helped in ending last night's violence.
Nonetheless, the events in Minneapolis last week was a wakeup call that we all have a role to play in ensuring that the killing of black men in police custody must stop and stop now. I believe that Mayor Frey of Minneapolis explained the community's reaction best, "... It is the result of so much built up anger and sadness – anger and sadness that has been ingrained in our Black community, not just because of five minutes of horror, but 400 years."
This quote struck a chord with me -- It stands as a reminder that this kind of systemic racism and violence needs to stop, and we all have a part to play in seeing that it ends now. Let’s not confuse the peaceful protest over the weekend addressing the issue at hand with the looting of last night. During these troubling times, I call on each of us to come together in unity to make our City and State better for everyone and for future generations to come.
Jo-Ann Ryan, Majority Leader
Providence City Council
Councilwoman - Ward 5
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