Detroit avoids violence; Grand Rapids chief meets protesters

DETROIT — The mayor of Detroit praised police, residents and clergy Monday for preventing the violence that has marred other cities during protests over police abuses and the death of George Floyd.

"We decided before we turn to the National Guard we're going to turn to each other," Mayor Mike Duggan said.

Meanwhile, the police chief in Grand Rapids spoke to protesters while standing behind a line of National Guard members. Eric Payne, who is black, said "black lives matter," although he declined to cross the line to get closer.

"I hear you loud and clear. Most importantly, I think law enforcement is hearing you," Payne said.

More protests were held around the state. People chanted "I can't breathe" at Central Michigan University, and "What do we want? Peace" in the streets of Marquette in the Upper Peninsula.

In Detroit, hundreds of people were arrested, many for curfew violations, during weekend demonstrations, and police used tear gas to disperse crowds. Yet Detroit has not experienced ransacked businesses, burning cars and broken windows seen in smaller Michigan cities, such as Grand Rapids and Lansing.

At one point, Deputy Chief Todd Bettison kneeled in response to a request from protesters who also took a knee. Lines of officers stood behind him.

"I've never been so proud of a man in my life," Duggan said.

Most arrests have involved people from outside Detroit, said police Chief James Craig, who displayed fireworks and a snack box that held railroad spikes.

An 8 p.m. curfew will stay in place.

"It is heartbreaking to see the cities around us who have suffered. ... We are not going to let people attack our city under the cover of darkness," Duggan said.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was up early Monday to see damage in Lansing, which included broken windows at a building that houses her office. Police in Grand Rapids set up an online portal for people to submit photos and video from weekend unrest.

Whitmer said a phone call between President Donald Trump and U.S. governors was disturbing. Trump said governors were "weak" for not aggressively cracking down on law breakers.

"We need to bring the temperature down," Whitmer, a Democrat, said. "I fear that it will only lead to more violence and destruction, and we must reject that way of thinking. This is a moment that calls for empathy and humanity and unity."

During his remarks, Duggan apologized for how some journalists were treated by police and blamed it on the inability to quickly identify reporters. One reporter was briefly handcuffed Sunday.

Elsewhere in Detroit, elected officials and activists urged residents to turn their frustration about racial injustice into action during a rally Monday in the parking lot of the Detroit Association of Black Organizations.

"The real people of Detroit: We're not going to tear down this city. Let's walk together. Let's protest together. But let's do it organized," said K Deezy, a Detroit hip-hop artist.