LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Saturday evening about 100 protesters stood in front of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s home in Louisville.
A handful of local activists, not affiliated with one particular organization, planned what they called "direct action," not a protest.
“It wasn’t a civil disobedience direct action. It was an occupation direct action. So we were holding our ground as long as possible without any arrests,” said Delaney Haley, one of the local organizers who helped organize.
When protesters arrived at Cameron’s home, Haley gave two sets of instructions on the bullhorn.
First, do not step on Cameron’s lawn. That rule was part of the strategy to prevent arrests, and it was opposite to the first direct action at his home in mid-July. That protest organized by the social justice group Until Freedom had protesters sit on Cameron’s lawn, which lead to 87 arrests. Haley didn’t want anyone to be arrested on Saturday.
The other rule for protesters was if the police showed up, they would only take up one lane of traffic.
Haley said it took 10 days to plan Saturday night's event.
“We had a couple of direct action training; kind of letting people know what to do, how to react, how to proceed with everything. So it was pretty extensive,” Haley told Spectrum News 1.
Louisville Metro Police Department’s Special Response Team showed up less than 30 minutes after activists stood in front of the attorney general’s house just before 8 p.m. ET Saturday.
Haley said an activist known as a police liaison in the group negotiated with LMPD. The police liaison told Spectrum News 1 via text that both parties agreed that police would leave if the protesters got out of the street.
The majority of protesters left within a couple of minutes and headed back to the house a few doors down that opened their doors to them.
Others stayed behind and heckled LMPD officers. Haley said activists weren’t trained to do that, but she wouldn’t stop anyone, either.
“They have a right to feel whatever they want to feel, especially with everything that’s going on,” Haley said.
On the same street, neighbor Jeanette who didn’t want her last name used provided her front and back yards for the protesters before and after Saturday’s direct action.
“I really believe in what they are doing so I just feel like if it wasn’t for the protesters, nothing would’ve happened, and we would’ve forgotten all about it,” Jeanette told Spectrum News 1. “So 150 days is a really long time, but I think it’s been worth it,” she added.
A nearby resident, who didn’t want to be named, said charges related to Breonna Taylor’s case was the Grand Jury’s decision. So the local community member said there is no reason for protesters to be at Cameron’s house. He said he is aiming for any peaceful protest, but not when it’s in a neighborhood.
“People out here don’t feel it. We’re always downtown on areas where people feel comfortable.”
Haley said the point of protesting is to disrupt, to help bring awareness to an issue, and with no fights, injuries, or arrests, Haley said the direct action Saturday night was a success.
LMPD officers at the scene confirm there were no arrests made.
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