City and County leaders are hoping the community is ready and willing to find productive ways to get past the pain and frustration caused by the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. Largely peaceful protesters filled the streets near Syracuse Police headquarters over the weekend, with the exception of Saturday night when a handful of people broke windows and looted some stores.
Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon says it’s important these “bad actors” aren’t allowed to hijack the message so others can learn and heal.
"We have to continue the dialogue. We have to continue as government leaders to engage the younger generation who's hurt by all this. I use the example...when I have to explain to my son who's a 12-year-old white male what the hell just happened and what he just witnessed, you know something wrong has happened. All people are shaken by what happened. How do we take this moment in time to come together and address some of these issues, which have gone on for far too long."
Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh says his diverse administration has been reaching out to neighborhoods since he took office to talk to people struggling everyday with the issue of police-community relations.
"We're always looking for different communications channels to make sure we're not only communiacting with people and sharing our thoughts, but also listening. That's part of the process. But that has to be backed up with action, ensuring the police department follows through on making sure their policies and procedures are reflective of our values of prioritizing the sanctity of life."
There were no serious injuries reported by either demonstrators or police. Walsh says the raw emotions from the unjust death of Floyd just adds to the frustration being felt by many struggling with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. The city and county curfews will be lifted tonight, but Walsh says he’ll reinstate it if needed for the safety of residents.
