Tens of thousands marched in downtown Houston Tuesday during a rally with George Floyd’s family organized by rappers Trae tha Truth and Bun B, to protest police violence after Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis law enforcement.
The two Houston rappers and friends of Floyd, a former Houstonian and hip-hop artist who went by the name Big Floyd, were joined by Mayor Sylvester Turner and other city officials in a march from Discovery Green to City Hall.
Houstonians took to the streets later that day in a largely peaceful rally organized by Black Lives Matter Houston, where they hoisted signs and chanted in Floyd’s honor in a similar march from Discovery Green to City Hall.
As night fell, Houston police officers began arresting protesters, mostly for obstructing roadways, though there were more violent moments between police and protesters, including injuries to both police and marchers, vandalized and destroyed police vehicles, and damaged storefronts.
The mood in Houston has been in stark contrast to clashes in Austin, San Antonio and Dallas, where police interactions with protesters often turned violent, including using rubber bullets and tear gas.