© 2024 Public Radio Tulsa
800 South Tucker Drive
Tulsa, OK 74104
(918) 631-2577

A listener-supported service of The University of Tulsa
classical 88.7 | public radio 89.5
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

National Guard Called in to Help Tulsa Police with Demonstration Around 71st and Memorial

Hannah Phillips

The National Guard and Tulsa Police shut down a demonstration in the area of 71st Street and Memorial Drive that went late into the night, devolved into vandalism and ended with at least three arrests.

Pepper balls and gas were used to disperse the crowd, which broke apart into smaller groups, some of which attempted to loot businesses in the retail corridor.

Businesses were damaged all the way up to 61st Street and Memorial.

There had been online rumors and social media threats to loot Woodland Hills Mall and other businesses in the retail corridor. Woodland Hills closed early Monday, and large dumpsters were placed at entrances to keep cars from entering the parking lot. 

Monday night’s demonstration did not appear to be connected to those organized over the weekend. Greg Robinson is an organizer of Saturday’s "We Can’t Breathe" protest, in which hundreds of people marched through Brookside and shut down I-44 for a time. 

"Those that are planning protests, protest peacefully and speak your mind, have a place that you’re trying to get to. But if you’re trying to destroy the city for likes and for clickbait, it’s not worth it," Robinson said.

According to reports, several protesters tried to keep the demonstration from escalating.

Some cities, including Oklahoma City, have implemented curfews to deal with continued protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police. Police Chief Wendell Franklin said Monday afternoon he’s confident unrest in Tulsa is solely the work of bad actors looking to cause trouble.

"I don’t think that individuals that want to go out and create disruption are going to listen to an order, a civil order that’s placed out for that. So, we’re going to wait. We believe that we are better than other parts of the country," Franklin said.

In a Facebook post, City Councilor Lori Decter Wright, whose district includes the area, called the crowd "a couple hundred opportunists" taking advantage of a moment.

"Rather than support a movement of peaceful protests in our city during this historic weekend and gathering to call for racial equity and justice, these troublemakers, instead, co-opted the moment for their selfish, greedy, and ego-centric curiosity. Or worse. They wished to cause real harm, instill fear, or deeply divide us," Decter Wright wrote.

Matt Trotter joined KWGS as a reporter in 2013. Before coming to Public Radio Tulsa, he was the investigative producer at KJRH. His freelance work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and on MSNBC and CNN.
Related Content