Special Session of General Assembly Convenes, Protesters Demonstrate Throughout Downtown
Both bodies of the Virginia General Assembly convened for a historic session of the general assembly to cover COVID-19 related budget fixes and law enforcement reform. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic the legislature convened at two facilities on West Broad Street that would allow elected officials to sufficiently socially distance. The House of Delegates gathered in the VCU Siegel Center arena and the State Senate met at the Science Museum of Virginia.
The gathering of the legislature drew demonstrators from a variety of interest groups and featured a number of highly visible marches through the city of Richmond. The morning started off with a combined group of armed activists marching from the State Capitol complex to the venues of the special session. This group of demonstrators represented several extremist interests including radical 2A members, militia and boogaloo boys organized by prominent activist Mike Dunn.
The heavily armed group made their way west along Broad St shortly after the morning rushhour and blocked traffic with their marchers and cars. Along the way there were a few verbal confrontations between the armed individuals and people they alleged to have Antifa ideological affiliations.
Later in the afternoon a much larger and diverse march in support of the Marcus Alert made its way west along Broad Street. Demonstrators in support of the Marcus Alert legislation created chalk messages on the street in front of the VCU Siegel Center.
By 2 PM another group of demonstrators gathered in front of the Siegel Center with a variety of speakers listing out demands they expect fulfilled by city and state government in response to the summer of protests.
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Peaceful Demonstration: Protest with marching, street closures and/or car parade.