George Floyd protests in Richmond, Virginia

Richmond, Virginia, experienced a series of protests in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. Richmond was the first city in the Southeastern United States to see rioting following Floyd's murder. Richmond, formerly the capital of the short-lived Confederate States of America, saw much arson and vandalism to monuments connected with that polity, particularly along Monument Avenue.

George Floyd protests in Richmond, Virginia
Part of George Floyd protests in Virginia
Black Lives Matter protesters by the graffitied Robert E. Lee Monument on May 31, 2020.
DateMay 29 – August 16, 2020
(2 months, 2 weeks and 4 days)
Location
Richmond, Virginia, United States
Caused by
Goals
  • Abolition and defunding of the Richmond Police Department
  • Citizens review board of the Richmond Police Department
  • Community-controlled policing
  • Community alerts of police activity
  • Marcus Alert for social workers to respond to emergencies
  • Removal of the confederate monuments
  • Resignation of Levar Stoney as mayor
  • Resignation of William C. Smith as Richmond Police chief
Methods
Resulted in
  • One percent budget cut to the Richmond Police Department for FY22
  • Initial damage to monuments along Monument Avenue
  • Removal of the Jackson, Lee, Maury, and Stuart monuments
  • Removal and relocation of the Richmond Police Memorial
  • Resignation of William C. Smith as Richmond Police chief
  • Resignation of Jody Blackwell as Interim Richmond Police chief
  • Retrofitting of the Lee Circle as a community park named in honor of Marcus-David Peters
  • Toppling of Columbus, Davis, Howitzer, Sons of Virginia, and Wickham statues
  • United Daughters of the Confederacy interior burned
Parties

Virginia National Guard

  • Virginia Defense Force

Third Party Affiliations:

  • Monument Avenue Preservation Commission
  • Oath Keepers
  • Virginia Flaggers
  • Confederate Knights of the Ku Klux Klan
Lead figures


Humberto Cardounel
Mark Herring
David R. Hines
Jeffrey S. Katz
Ralph Northam
Anthony S. Pike
Levar Stoney
William C. Smith
John Venuti

Casualties
InjuriesAt least 25
Arrested400500

Protests began in late May 2020 and gradually subsided by mid-August 2020. Given the city's Confederate roots, many of the areas of attack by protesters were the statues along Monument Avenue, near The Fan neighborhood of Richmond. During the first wave of Floyd protests, all major monuments (except the Arthur Ashe Monument) were defaced and sprayed with graffiti. Five statues were toppled by protesters. Some of the statues toppled included the Jefferson Davis Memorial, statues of Christopher Columbus and Confederate General Williams Carter Wickham, and the Howitzer Monument.

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