It’s been an emotional week for the greater Syracuse community as hundreds of protesters hold daily demonstrations in response to the murder of George Floyd, and police try to accommodate their rights.
At the city’s weekly briefing Friday, Chief Kenton Buckner said he’s pleased that most of the protests are peaceful and lawful.
"In our attemtps to make sure everyone has the time and space to exercise their first amendment rights, we've provided traffic support for the events when they've gone mobile. Our goal is to ensure that we have no criminal or destructive behavior. If that occurs, we'll be prepared to strategically respond to that."
Buckner says so far, there have been six arrests and two injured officers during an entire week of demonstrations. They’re preparing for another protest this evening, and expect at least a couple thousand to turn out for a planned event tomorrow at locations across downtown. Several streets will be closed. Mayor Ben Walsh Friday extended the city's declaration of a State of Special Emergency for 30 days ahead of the protests. He marched with protesters Thursday.
"It was really great to get to know a lot of caring passionate people in our city. I also took a knee with the protesters, and I had no conflict or concern in doing so. As I've tried to say...we don't have to pick sides here. There's just the right side. Having talked to many officers and many people in the community, everyone just wants to make sure everyone is treated with dignity and respect."
All of this is taking place as the region tries to emerge from a pandemic. Dr. Steven Thomas is Chief of the Infectious Disease Divsion at SUNY Upstate Medical University and was on hand for the briefing. He says there are new COVID-19 infections everyday, though at a low level, and the risk should be taken into consideration during protests.
"Any gathering of people of any size has the potential to cause uninfected people to become infected. I would encourage that when people think about whether they want to be involved in gatherings large or small that they ask themselves a question about their personal risk: How would you tolerate a COVID-19 infection?"
Thomas says the risk can be mitigated by wearing a masks, sanitizing and washing hands, and keeping space from those who aren't wearing masks. He recommends protesters pay attention to their health, and if they notice any symptoms, to seek medical advice. Governor Cuomo has gone as far to urge all protesters to get tested.
The pandemic is also beginning to impact city residents in other ways. Mayor Walsh says it pains him to cancel the city’s summer day camps.
"It is not for health reasons; it's for financial reasons. It is possible to hold summer day camps per the state's guidance. Finanically, we're just not in a position to do so."
Walsh continues to plead with Congress to act on municipal relief soon so cities can continue to provide basic services like police and garbage pick-up.
