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Slideshow: Chico protests police violence

A growing slideshow of images from the ongoing police-violence protests in Chico

June 5, 2020 CN&R News 0

“We have nothing to lose but our chains!” cried out Chico State sociology professor Lesa Johnson, as several hundred people chanted the words back to her at the Juneteenth Gathering for Healing and Justice held Friday (June 19) in Chico City Plaza. The event was organized by Justice for Desmond Phillips in honor of Phillips, a 25-year-old black man killed by Chico Police in 2015, and Marc Thompson, whose body was found in a burned car in rural Butte County in 2014. His murder has never been solved. Thompson, also 25, was Phillips’ cousin. An earlier event called a Juneteenth Celebration & Continued Protest Police Brutality and organized by pastor Vince Haynie and other members of the faith community was held in the plaza from 3:30 to 5 p.m., when the Justice For Desmond Phillips-organized event started. (photo by Ken Smith)

Protests have broken out all over the world in the wake of the killing of George Floyd on May 25, including in Chico, where every day since June 2, people have taken to the downtown area to call for justice for victims of police violence and an end to institutional racism.

The Chico News & Review has been, and will continue to be, on the scene to tell the story and capture images.

Police violence protests, Chico City Plaza, June 4, 2020. (photo by Melissa Daugherty)
Police violence protests, Chico City Plaza, June 4, 2020. (photo by Melissa Daugherty)
Police violence protests, Chico City Plaza, June 4, 2020. (photo by Melissa Daugherty)
Police-violence protest at Chico City Plaza, June 4, 2020. (photo by Ashiah Scharaga)
Police-violence protest at Chico City Plaza, June 4, 2020. (photo by Ashiah Scharaga)
Police-violence protest at Chico City Plaza, June 4, 2020. (photo by Ashiah Scharaga)
Police-violence protest at Chico City Plaza, June 4, 2020. (photo by Ashiah Scharaga)
Police-violence protest at Chico City Plaza, June 4, 2020. (photo by Ashiah Scharaga)
Police-violence protest at Chico City Plaza, June 4, 2020. (photo by Ashiah Scharaga)
Police-violence protest at Chico City Plaza, June 4, 2020. (photo by Ashiah Scharaga)
Police-violence protest at Chico City Plaza, June 4, 2020. (photo by Ashiah Scharaga)
Police-violence protest at Chico City Plaza, June 4, 2020. (photo by Ashiah Scharaga)
Police-violence protest at Chico City Plaza, June 4, 2020. (photo by Ashiah Scharaga)
Police-violence protest at Chico City Plaza, June 4, 2020. (photo by Ashiah Scharaga)
Police-violence protest in downtown Chico June 2, 2020. (photo by Ken Smith)
Police-violence protest in downtown Chico June 2, 2020. (photo by Ken Smith)
Police-violence protest in downtown Chico June 2, 2020. (photo by Ken Smith)
Police-violence protest in downtown Chico June 2, 2020. (photo by Ken Smith)
Police-violence protest in downtown Chico June 4, 2020. (photo by Ken Smith)
Police-violence protests, Chico, Calif., June 5, 2020. (photo by Ken Smith
Police-violence protests, Chico, Calif., June 5, 2020. (photo by Ken Smith
Police-violence protests, Chico, Calif., June 5, 2020. (photo by Ken Smith
Police-violence protests, Chico, Calif., June 5, 2020. (photo by Ken Smith
Police-violence protests, Chico, Calif., June 5, 2020. (photo by Ken Smith
Police-violence protests, Chico, Calif., June 5, 2020. (photo by Ken Smith
Police-violence protests, Chico, Calif., June 5, 2020. (photo by Ken Smith
Police-violence protest, Chico, Calif., June 7, 2020. (photo by Trevor Whitney)
Police-violence protest, Chico, Calif., June 7, 2020. (photo by Trevor Whitney)
Police-violence protest, Chico, Calif., June 7, 2020. (photo by Trevor Whitney)
Police-violence protest, Chico, Calif., June 7, 2020. (photo by Trevor Whitney)
Police-violence protest, Chico, Calif., June 7, 2020. (photo by Trevor Whitney)
Police-violence protest, Chico, Calif., June 7, 2020. (photo by Trevor Whitney)
Police-violence protest, Chico, Calif., June 7, 2020. (photo by Trevor Whitney)
Police-violence protest, Chico, Calif., June 7, 2020. (photo by Trevor Whitney)
Police-violence protest, Chico, Calif., June 7, 2020. (photo by Trevor Whitney)
Police-violence protest, Chico, Calif., June 7, 2020. (photo by Trevor Whitney)
Police-violence protest, Chico, Calif., June 7, 2020. (photo by Trevor Whitney)
Community altar at 2020 Juneteenth event at Chico City Plaza. (photo by Ken Smith)
“We have nothing to lose but our chains!” cried out Chico State sociology professor Lesa Johnson, as several hundred people chanted the words back to her at the Juneteenth Gathering for Healing and Justice held Friday (June 19) in Chico City Plaza. The event was organized by Justice for Desmond Phillips in honor of Phillips, a 25-year-old black man killed by Chico Police in 2015, and Marc Thompson, whose body was found in a burned car in rural Butte County in 2014. His murder has never been solved. Thompson, also 25, was Phillips’ cousin. An earlier event called a Juneteenth Celebration & Continued Protest Police Brutality and organized by pastor Vince Haynie and other members of the faith community was held in the plaza from 3:30 to 5 p.m., when the Justice For Desmond Phillips-organized event started. (photo by Ken Smith)
In addition to a spoken word performances, drumming by a three-piece Rastafari ensemble, a community altar and 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence in honor of George Floyd—whose May 25 murder by Minneapolis police has reignited national conversation over police violence and race relations—the 2020 Juneteenth event featured an emotional address by Desmond Phillip’s father, David Phillips. The elder Phillips related the horror of seeing his son killed by police before his eyes in graphic detail, and outlined several of the issues the Phillips family and supporters have with Chico police and Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey’s official account of the case, which declared the shooting justified. (Photo by Ken Smith)

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