Police and one of three main organizers react to arrests Saturday night

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – Protesters in Lexington are preparing to start a third week of protesting Sunday even after 20 of them, including three high profile organizers, were arrested Saturday night.

Based on what protest organizers said earlier in the week, people knew there were going to be changes. Organizers calling this a “Weekend of direct action” to show police and the city they’re serious and want their demands met.

Organizers say they even hosted training sessions to teach protesters how to participate in civil disobedience. Something people who chose to participate knew might lead to an arrest.

Night-after-night protesters confront Lexington Police downtown. Something Lexington police says is exhausting, emotionally and physically.

At the protest Saturday night, organizers say they wanted to raise the bar, holding a “die-in” where protesters laid down on the ground, and some broke through the police barrier, for eight minutes and 46 seconds, the time a police office had his knee on George Floyd’s neck.

“Just as there is frustration from LPD having to endure us hurling truths at them or expletives at them, the same type of things we encounter as black and brown people in Lexington,” Sarah Williams said. “There’s a lot of frustration on our side too…so we wanted to escalate this, it is a public sidewalk.”

Police disagree in a release on Sunday with Williams, saying it’s a “restricted area” that’s barricaded for safety.

20 people were arrested Saturday in total with varying charges, including sisters Sarah Williams, April Taylor and Precious Taylor who have help organize and lead many of the protests.

Williams says she wasn’t arrested initially during the “die-in” and did not cross the police barricades.

“At one point I saw officers approach me and I told them ‘You can’t touch me. I’m on this side of the barrier, you do not have any right to arrest me,'” she said.

She was arrested later, she says while going to her car with her daughter Gabby Williams to leave for the night.

Gabby posted videos of the incident on Facebook. In it you can hear her crying out, asking why her mom was being arrested.

“It was emotional. For any child, it was emotional to see your parent get arrested for not doing anything,” G. Williams said.

Police charged Williams with inciting a riot, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and possession of marijuana, Williams says it was tobacco.

What about making progress with the city on demands for police accountability?

Mayor Linda Gorton says she plans to begin discussions Tuesday to abolish no-knock search warrants and the possibility of a civilian review board of police.

Williams says abolishing no-knock search warrants is a no brainer and as for the civilian review board, she says it’s something that won’t be an easy change.

“So that means nothing to me. [Mayor Gorton] has done nothing to change how we encounter LPD at this moment,” Williams said. “We should not have to wait, it’s already been long enough.”

Lexington Police describe Saturday night’s events as “a disorderly protest that led to violent threats being made against officers.”

For more from Lexington Police’s recount of Saturday night you can read the full report here.