Holding up signs and chanting at passing motorists, a small group of young demonstrators gathered in front of Rochelle City Hall and in other downtown Rochelle locations on Sunday afternoon in protest following the death of George Floyd.
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ROCHELLE — Holding up signs and chanting at passing motorists, a small group of young demonstrators gathered in front of Rochelle City Hall and in other downtown Rochelle locations on Sunday afternoon in protest following the death of George Floyd.
Floyd, who was African-American, was arrested on May 25 and died in police custody after being restrained and pinned face down on the street in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“A group of protestors were set up at the corner of North Seventh Street and Fifth Avenue,” said Rochelle Police Chief Eric Higby. “They did go around the block, in front of the police station and to other areas, but for the majority of the protest, they were established on the corner of Seventh and Fifth.”
Violent protests, vandalism and looting have erupted across the nation in major cities after disturbing videos of the incident were released. The protests are now beginning to spill over to smaller towns, but Sunday's demonstration in Rochelle was peaceful. While many cities across the country are fighting back against the protestors, the City of Rochelle is doing the opposite.
“I think the protestors have a right for their voice to be heard,” said Rochelle City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh. “As Americans, we need to support our fellow citizens' rights to protest and let their voices be heard. I thought it went well, there were no major issues and the people who organized it conducted themselves very professionally.”
Members of the Rochelle Police Department, Ogle County Sheriff's Office and Illinois State Police heavily patrolled the area on Sunday during the protest, and no arrests, violence or injuries were reported. However, both the Rochelle Walmart and Walgreens stores closed early at 5 p.m. after authorities learned of a possible looting threat circulating on social media.
“I do know that some chatter was circulating on social media and I am sure that led to the decision of the store owners to close early,” Higby said. “But the next day there were no reports of any looting to stores in the area.”
