Lower Broadway District in Nashville Looted & Vandalized
Nashville’s historic Lower Broadway district—which many consider the Holy Land of country music with numerous historic buildings and entertainment institutions—has suffered numerous incidents of vandalism and looting at the hands of protesters demonstrating against the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25th.
The area is also home to the Ryman Auditorium, also known as the Home of Country Music, which according to numerous reports, has not suffered any significant damage at this time, though there was a window broken out of the building on 5th Ave. Pictures of the establishment show no significant damage suffered during the looting and protests, and on site security has confirmed the building is safe.
There are numerous others reports of music venues, stores, and other establishments being damaged in the area. Many of the establishments suffered broken windows, including the Alan Jackson-owned AJ’s Good Time Bar, The Stage, and The Boot Barn location on Broadway which was set on fire and heavily looted, with Nashville fire personnel arriving on the scene to extinguish the blaze. Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville location also suffered significant looting and damage.
Demonstrations that started peacefully near the courthouse in Nashville just north of the area turned violent and destructive Saturday afternoon, with protestors breaking windows and setting fires at the Nashville courthouse. Nashville’s Central Police district, which is located very close to the Lower Broadway entertainment district, was also a location for protests, some of whom moved to Lower Broadway when dispersed away from the precinct.
At 10 p.m. the Nashville Mayor declared a curfew, and police moved into the Lower Broadway area with significant numbers, telling anyone still out on the streets that they would be subject to arrest. Steve Smith—the owner of Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge and a partner in Kid Rock’s Lower Broadway establishment told News 2 in Nashville that he “has armed security at all his businesses downtown and if there is vandalism or looting at his places, they will shoot to kill.”
The Lower Broadway area had already been hit very hard with mandatory closings due to COVID-19, and had only been allowed to reopen recently with limited capacity. Though some of the businesses of Lower Broadway are corporate owned, others are independent businesses such as Robert’s Western World, Layla’s, and The Ernest Tubb Record Shop, which were already facing a difficult future.
Nashville venues are not the only ones to suffer significant damage due to rioting. Numerous music venues, including some catering specifically to roots music were significantly damaged in Minneapolis in the initial round of riots. The Turf Club, which has upcoming concerts secluded for American Aquarium and Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band, suffered significant damage, as did the Hook and Ladder, which has events from Davina and the Vagabonds and Miss Tess and the Talkbacks scheduled for the future.
Protests also erupted in downtown Austin on Saturday, though there are no confirmed cases of venues being affected. By 11 p.m., protestors and looters had moved on from the area, while crews arrived to assess the damage and board up broken windows.
This story will be updated when further information is available.
May 30, 2020 @ 9:44 pm
Checking in from Minneapolis here. Pasting the statements from the Turf Club next door in St. Paul and from the Hook & Ladder in Minneapolis below.
“Unfortunately, the Turf was hurt last night. But we’ll rebuild; we’re not dead. You know who’s dead? George Floyd. You know who’s still unhurt? The murderous cop and his accomplices.
We need to come out of this with a more equitable, just society. It’s a moral imperative and Minneapolis/St. Paul can lead the way.” – Dayna Frank, Owner of First Avenue/Turf Club
“Hook & Ladder – Our old baby is still standing! Battered and bruised. Our team finally got into the building and turned the water off. Fire was set but thankfully was extinguished by our sprinkler system. We’ve got it all secured and buttoned back up in case it’s attacked again tonight. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. More info coming when available.” – Jackson Buck, Booker at Hook & Ladder
May 30, 2020 @ 10:28 pm
Thanks for the additional info Grant. I’ve been waffling back and forth on whether to report something more in depth about the venues in Minneapolis being vandalized, but I also didn’t want to open a Pandora’s box on the bigger issue here on a country music website. Lower Broadway being hit made it imperative though. Since a lot of these riots are happening in downtown districts where many of these venues are located, it makes them especially vulnerable.Sad to hear about those important venues up there, but it sounds like they will be able to recover.
Stay safe!
May 30, 2020 @ 10:36 pm
Completely Understand. I will say, from what I have seen/heard, there were a few other damaged venues here but the damage is fixable. Tonight has not been as bad as nights prior. I’ll sit back and listen from here on out, just wanted to give an update from the North.
May 31, 2020 @ 4:33 pm
Almost anything is “fixable” with the will and the money. I’m not sure what type of standard that is. Dresden was “fixable.”
May 31, 2020 @ 8:23 pm
Well seeing as how upwards of 200 businesses in our city were burnt down over the past week, fixable means still standing.
Call me when your city is on fire and we can talk about standards.
June 1, 2020 @ 4:17 am
My city is on fire.
May 30, 2020 @ 11:46 pm
I guess I’m not buying any concert tickets at the Turf Club. Ever. They could’ve handled that a bit more diplomatically.
Word on Twitter is that Willies Guitars has been broken into tonight.
May 31, 2020 @ 12:00 am
Spoony, if that comment bothers you that is your prerogative. I’m not going to talk politics here.
What I will say is this: if you are writing off the Turf Club because of what Dayna Frank said then you will also need to write off the following venues because the First Ave conglomerate that owns the Turf Club owns these as well: First Avenue, 7th Street Entry, The Fine Line, The Palace Theatre, and The Fitzgerald Theatre. They also partner with Surly for booking at the Surly Festival Field.
So good luck catching any touring acts with those out of the equation for you.
Shame to hear about Willie’s
May 31, 2020 @ 12:06 am
That’s fine. All that is fine. Maybe whoever handles PR for the Cabooze can keep their fingers off a keyboard if all they have to do is spread more hate and division.
May 31, 2020 @ 7:20 am
Look at who is talking.
May 31, 2020 @ 2:03 am
Interesting. I had the opposite reaction and as a result of Ms. Frank’s statement, will be sure to patronize the Turf club if ever I am in Minneapolis.
I hope that all of us, regardless of our views, will be able to safely attend concerts and hear live music again soon. Stay safe, everyone.
May 31, 2020 @ 2:36 am
“If you’re ever there?” Have at it. All she’s doing is sowing more seeds of discontent. Do you have your travel plans in order yet? Most of us in MN have been shocked at this entire thing, but by all means, go and throw all your money at the 28 year old girl who apparently hates cops.
May 31, 2020 @ 3:38 am
What are you talking about??? My point is that I respect a venue owner who understands the need for all of us to come out of this nightmare with an understanding of the need to work towards a more just and equitable society. And I certainly don’t hate cops— in fact, as a government lawyer, I spent 20 years defending corrections officers, state police officers, and other law enforcement officials.
May 31, 2020 @ 12:49 pm
Absolutely! We were going to go to Nashville this year– I’ve never been — so when the pandemic is over and we can finally do it, we are so there and will eat and drink really expensive stuff. Way to go Turf Club! [insert heart emojis here]
May 31, 2020 @ 4:59 am
Spoony’s response is the reason cities are burning tonight.
May 31, 2020 @ 7:21 am
Exactly. Well said.
May 31, 2020 @ 7:18 am
So sad. I am sure the Turf Club will really miss you.
May 31, 2020 @ 4:17 pm
you’re pathetic
May 31, 2020 @ 8:36 am
Liberals support the looting of cities and already struggling businesses. How stupid. This won’t solve anything.
May 31, 2020 @ 11:21 pm
I know these aren’t your words and I’m not picking at you specifically, but that is a pretty asinine statement by them. Burning down every building in the world won’t bring a victim back to life.
June 4, 2020 @ 11:56 am
Far right boogaloo boys are to blame for the violence and riots.
They are trying to entice LEO to slaughter protestors so they can start a race war.
Its trumps only chance of retaining power…..he’ll have to call off the election until its “safe”.
Look up boogaloo and their role in partnering with police to place pallets of bricks in every major city.
Judgement day for this country is here.
Our dark racists roots are bearing fruit.
June 4, 2020 @ 11:06 pm
That is an astonishing amount of bad information. Thank you for impressing me with this level of awful
May 30, 2020 @ 10:38 pm
I’m glad to see we’re now freed to break shit and burn stuff whenever we think injustice has been committed. This is honestly sickening; I get that many will think the anger is “justified,” but burning shit down in Nashville in response to something in Minneapolis makes no goddamned sense. Not only that but why does police action in Minneapolis justify looting of BUSINESSES?
It’s sad to see this happen. Regardless of whether or not something is corporate or privately-owned, a lot of peoples lives will be ruined for something they had no part in.
May 30, 2020 @ 11:40 pm
The logic is that if you create enough disruption, it will be an agent for change. I understand that when it comes to things like groups of protestors making human chains across interstates like we saw here in Austin, TX today. However some, if not most of what you have had in Minneapolis and in Nashville is many young educated whites from affluence who’ve been indoctrinated in ideology trying to inflict as much collateral damage as possible as a way to vent anger and agitate groups of peaceful protestors to pit them against the police. They are agents of chaos that have literally set fires to affordable housing projects, urban renewal offices, and minority-owned businesses to purportedly help African Americans.
The Nashville court house that was vandalized and firebombed today is a Civil Rights landmark. It’s the centerpiece of the city’s Civil Rights Trail. And you had (mostly) white agitators breaking its windows, spraying graffiti, and trying to set it on fire. Eric Brown, the African American coordinator of Economic Opportunity and Empowerment for Nashville, had his office fire bombed at the court house.
May 31, 2020 @ 7:42 am
I’d add that it’s the logic of terrorism and despair, not civil rights.
May 31, 2020 @ 4:46 am
The people doing the burning and looting are animals. Actually, that is an insult to animals. They are unfixable. So gross.
May 31, 2020 @ 12:53 am
i don’t want people rioting, looting and setting fires to buildings, but if you have no idea why it’s happening I would suggest reading your history books and taking stock.
Understand the cause then the effect can be fixed. But you as a people have to want to stop the issue at source, and I’m not sure that enough want people to be equal.
May 31, 2020 @ 6:02 am
Agreed.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/05/29/heres-why-we-dont-see-protests-when-police-unjustly-kill-white-people/
May 31, 2020 @ 7:44 am
I agree, read the history of bolshevism.
May 31, 2020 @ 8:31 am
Just as people need to recognize the systemic racism at the heart of the American justice system, it’s imperative that people understand the extreme elements that have also embedded themselves within peaceful protests to agitate and escalate, and how this has directly resulted in the destruction or damage of minority and black owned businesses, Civil Rights landmarks, and institutions that operate to solve many of the problems both judicially and economically that have been set up to protect minority populations. These often white agitators are not combating racism. They are an inadvertent party to it, while fueling rage and retributions from the other side with their unjust actions.
Both sides need to stop justifying the unjust actions of the extreme of their ideology just because it satiates their anger.
Also, there have now been multiple murders tied directly to these riots, so this is not just about property. People have been killed. There is no justification for murder, on either side.
May 31, 2020 @ 10:14 am
Is it racist to point out that blacks commit an inordinate amount of crime, and are duly punished for it?
Huh. Today I learned I’m part of “systematic racism” for acknowledging the facts. Thanks for that Kyle!
May 31, 2020 @ 10:30 am
Please don’t twist my words.
May 31, 2020 @ 12:27 pm
I have disagreed withTrigger on many things in the past. His comments here are mostly spot on. At least today you learned something. Must make you feel smart.
May 31, 2020 @ 4:02 pm
And I’ve often disagreed with you….but agree with your multiple comments on this post FWIW.
June 1, 2020 @ 4:51 pm
Good. You are learning. However very, very small that is.
May 31, 2020 @ 4:28 pm
There is no “systemic racism” at the heart of American justice, except, of course, for those instances when you have minorities on the bench and on the juries.
May 31, 2020 @ 4:41 am
The heck of it is, many of these businesses just opened back up. Downtown Nashville has been a ghost town for nearly three months and they’ve been trying to stay afloat with no income ever since this virus started. Several up-and-coming artists work at these places to try and make ends meet while their careers take off. These aren’t protests – they’re riots. Being justifiably angry and protesting is one thing. Destroying the livelihoods of uninvolved third parties is criminal.
May 31, 2020 @ 7:55 am
I wonder if that’s how those who lost income due to the Boston Tea Party in 1776 felt….”why should we lost income when their grievance isn’t with us?”
So may people still seemed more concerned with the riots and looting than recognizing what has driven this group over the edge in the first place.
Fire is catching.
May 31, 2020 @ 9:58 am
This whole Boston Tea Party example is such an awful example, and I keep hearing it from people as if it justifies what’s going on right now. Let’s examine at it real quick, shall we?
In 1773, the British passed the Tea Act which raised taxes on, well… tea. In response, the colonists raided merchant ships and threw the tea -again important for this story- into the bay. They were tactically precise in the message they were sending.
Now let’s look at today. A cop in Minneapolis kneeled on the neck of a black man, killing him. In NASHVILLE (and many other places) people burned and looted buildings that were not even remotely conceptually linked to a cop in Minneapolis. Not only that the colonists threw the tea into the bay, destroying it, not grabbing everything they could and running off with it. Also, the British East India company was the one hit by the Tea Party, not independent merchants. As a historical FYI, that company was basically a state-run monopoly, so in essence it was a protest against the government.
This is such a bad example; I wish people would stop using it.
May 31, 2020 @ 2:47 pm
Well, how nice for you. You know what I wish people would stop doing: I wish people would stop using “buts” when talking about the death of George Floyd. I hear it all the time: “well, what the cop did was wrong BUT, that doesn’t excuse the looting.”
Instead, try turning that around: the looting and rioting isn’t ideal, but I get that it’s the result of a group of people pushed to their breaking point after 200+ years of discrimination, marginalization, and institutionalized racism.
Because THAT’S what this is. The killing of George Floyd isn’t an isolated incident. It was the killing of yet ANOTHER unarmed black man by the police. Do you think if it hadn’t been caught on camera that the police would have done anything other than swept it under the rug (like they’d done with multiple complaints about this officer’s behavior before? Just like if the killing of Ahmaud Arbery by a couple of wannabe cops hadn’t been caught on camera, they would never have been charged.
No, I can’t for the life of me understand why these people are angry. I can’t understand at all how they’ve been pushed to the end of their rope.
So, think about that the next time that you’re “sick of hearing about the Boston Tea Party as an example.”
Fire is catching.
May 31, 2020 @ 5:25 pm
Cobra,
Yes, it’s the killing of another unarmed—and apparently, unresisting black American. It’s disgusting, and I’ve yet to meet anybody who isn’t disgusted by it.
But comparing looting and burning businesses in distant cities to the Boston Tea Party doesn’t jive—unless, perhaps you’re equating the reaction as a revolutionary reaction against the federal state? or against what some would call “white supremacy”? In either case, it appears to be an analogy you didn’t imagine on your own—and it doesn’t work.
Black Americans are much more likely to experience physical aggression from police officers. That needs to be fixed. However, they also commit a disproportionate amount of crime. That needs to be fixed too.
In the meantime, there are hard working black Americans caught in the middle of all of this who need honest problem solving, not political rhetoric. What’s bad for black America is bad for all America. Cheering on the fire setting hurts blacks and everyone else.
May 31, 2020 @ 6:53 pm
Elk….there it is again….the “but.” The “however.”
You can’t just say “George Floyd’s killing was wrong.” You can’t just say “Black Americans are much more likely to experience physical aggression from police officers. That needs to be fixed.” You’ve got to have a qualifier attached. You’ve got to throw that “but” in there.
And you wonder why these protesters have reached their breaking point.
They tried peaceful protesting. They were dismissed and villainized. Repeatedly. And so they’ve moved on to a more aggressive approach. If protesters just went home when they weren’t heard, we would still be British colonies. So, yes, I AM likening it to the Boston Tea Party, and rightfully so.
Hell, even Jesus violently drove the money changers from the Temple. I’m sure a few businesses took a hit from that.
Fire is catching.
May 31, 2020 @ 7:37 pm
Nonsense. The so-called “civil rights” initiatives which have resulted in trillions of dollars being thrown at the minority communities in an effort to make them “equal” to whites have failed . . . miserably. In many ways the social/economic status in this nation was much better pre-1965 than it is today. Blacks have been given preferential treatment in this nation for the past 55 years. The result has been an abysmal failure. Facts are facts.
May 31, 2020 @ 5:01 am
MLK never burned anything down.
May 31, 2020 @ 5:19 am
He was hated just the same.
May 31, 2020 @ 10:15 am
And he will be remembered long after these fools burning and rioting are gone. They wont even be a footnote
May 31, 2020 @ 10:48 am
And they shot him.
May 31, 2020 @ 7:10 am
I work downtown. Our store got hit. We had to close early yesterday because they were already up the street setting cop cars on fire when we left.
I can tell you that myself and the people I work with have fire running through our veins. I’m buying more ammo before I go to work today (unless they tell me not to come down there), because I only had what was in my gun (that is registered and I have a permit for). More than ready to do what the cops are not allowed to do, if the situation calls for it.
I have taken lunch breaks and done my homework on the steps of the Ryman in the alley. I consider that building to be my place. Hank Williams is my favorite, and being near that building is how I feel connected to him and his music, since I can’t see him. As bad as it is for our store to get hit, we’ll clean that up and hopefully try ONCE AGAIN to get some business (yesterday was my 2ND DAY BACK AT WORK). The Ryman getting hit is what made it extremely personal on a whole different level. By the way, there is a brand new African American Museum directly in front of it. They didn’t touch that.
Just for a realistic picture of what it was like yesterday: The protest was not arranged to come down Broadway, to our knowledge. It was supposed to be up the street. That fucking mayor led the pack down 4th avenue and up Broadway. You want to talk about some pissed off customers, employees, and tourists? When we were leaving, I saw several kids with their families. One little girl was about 5 years old. She had a princess dress on. If she was 5, then she’s the same age I was when I first came to Nashville on vacation. When we were walking to the parking garage, we followed behind an older couple (probably in their 70s or older) that had gotten dressed up to come downtown. They were holding hands. When I was driving out, the cops were directing traffic at one of the red lights, so that we wouldn’t run over any of the fuckers (I’ll use that word since Trigger probably doesn’t want the word I now use) who were vandalizing their property. I live right outside of Nashville and right down the road from a police station. I could hear all of the sirens heading to the interstate to make their way down there as the situation progressed after I got home. It was disturbing.
The ones who did all of this (yes, I know, white, black, Hispanic, etc.) are the ones who have more rights than anyone. They are not slaves. Not one person I know of has ever done anything mean to a black person, unless it was something in self-defense – believe me, the Arkansas town I’m from is ghetto, and a few of the blacks get away with killing white people just because they have nothing better to do. In fact, I believe it was last year that a beloved business man (white) went to meet some prospective tenants (two black people) to show them a rental he had. When they got there, they shot, killed, and robbed him. You know what the family did? They mourned, kept his business open, and I pray are coping with the loss with any peace they can find. Another white business owner was shot by robbers (black). I think that was last year, too. His family reacted the same way.
So, the ones who did all of this (and will continue to do so) have more rights than me. I have more rights than the cops. I don’t want to hear victim stories from anyone on that upper level anymore. I haven’t slept and am still planning on going to work to help clean up, unless I have to lose my job again due to this. The mayor of Nashville did not cause it, but he sure as hell encouraged it. If he’s not kicked out, there’s not much of a chance for Nashville to be anything but ghetto soon. The Opry Mills mall already is. The hobos run the downtown streets – before all of this started yesterday, one of them threw shit, yes, shit, into one of our stores. The managers had to close it down for a while to clean. up. shit. I won’t even get started on how the courthouse and the flag were treated during the riot. And I don’t care if it wasn’t all the same people from the protest that did the damage. It all looks the same from where we’re standing.
I know that my values are opposite of most that read this site, but I hope all of you have a blessed day.
May 31, 2020 @ 7:57 am
Thank you for providing an ACTUAL perspective on what is going on, not some moronic narrative on how this has been “coming” or is “justified.”
People only think this is fine because it isn’t in their neighborhoods or at their businesses. I guarantee you right now those same hypocrites urging this on would be among the first to call the police if this “justified” anger had them or their property in its crosshairs.
May 31, 2020 @ 12:32 pm
Thanks for a boots-on-the-ground perspective. We don’t get that from ivory-tower George Soros “do what I say not what I do”.
May 31, 2020 @ 7:34 am
I hope Roberts and Ernest Tubb records stay open ..they are the only places on Broadway that are still country anyway ..
May 31, 2020 @ 5:58 pm
Incidentally the two places I make a point to visit, above all others, whenever I’m in Nashville.
May 31, 2020 @ 7:43 am
This has been coming in the USA for quite some time. When Colin Kaepernick and Co. had their protests over similar issues nobody listened. Those protests, as far as I am aware, were generally peaceful. I believe that the black community think they have no other way to display their feelings. But they are wrong. Rioting and looting will get them nowhere. It will only reinforce the thought process of those bigots who are supporting the status quo. Also I believe that calling for a lock down at 10pm at night is simply stupid. That should have been down hours earlier. That only put police in an impossible position. Now is the time for real leaders to step forward. Take a leaf out of the Civil Rights Movement in Northern Ireland back in the 1960s. The leaders of that movement proved that it can be done.
May 31, 2020 @ 7:53 am
It’s not “black feelings.” My neighbors (mom a pediatrician, dad an engineer) are black and are appalled. Everyone needs to get out of the groupthink mentality.
Antifa is involved. The protests were quickly seized and exploited. Trump is the target.
May 31, 2020 @ 8:07 am
What are you on. Where did I refer to “black feelings”. Your next door neighbors are black. Hurray for you. Do you really expect them to tell you how they feel. How do you know what they think. Did they hop over the fence and tell you. And what difference does it make what they work at. If they asked you would you step up and protest peacefully about the murder of a black man. And who is antifa.
May 31, 2020 @ 9:07 am
Paddy, you referred to black feelings in your fourth sentence.
It’s not impossible for a black American to share their honest perspective with a white friend.
Protests did get violent in 2016 (five Dallas police officers shot and killed by a black sniper is one example). And to claim that no one listened to Kaepernick is a bit of a stretch. That guy still makes headlines.
Maybe Corncaster is saying that assigning a uniform sentiment to a group of people is not a productive approach to understanding and solving problems. The ideology followed by Antifa tends to do that.
May 31, 2020 @ 12:21 pm
You may have some points. But you miss the point I was trying to make. Rioting, looting, violence,hatred will get you nowhere. As for Kaepernick, if he had been listened to just maybe we would not be where we are at now. As for Antifa you refer to their ideology. Their only ideology is for the overthrow of all government. They exist throughout the world only with different names. They only get support from people who have lost all hope. Hopefully there will be those with a voice who will be heard above Antifa. And hopefully those people will be heard by those in power.
May 31, 2020 @ 1:26 pm
Paddy,
I agree with your point about rioting. Not so much about Kaepernick, as I’m not even sure he offered solutions to follow. As for Antifa, they are certainly not anti-government as evidenced by language on their websites as well as the communist symbolism they often use. And they most certainly do not only attract people without hope—most are suburban white kids that claim privilege.
There are major problems to solve, and they include the disproportion of blacks committing crime, as well as the fact that blacks are 2-3 times more likely than whites to be treated with physical force by police. These issues are complex and deserve open minded dialogue and critical thinking to solve.
What’s bad for black America is bad for all of America. All of us should be willing to take this on together.
June 1, 2020 @ 11:07 am
Antifa means anti fascist. That’s all the soldiers in World War II and everybody in America who has a moral compass and doesn’t want a dictatorship helmed by Cheeto Mussolini
June 1, 2020 @ 12:41 pm
Acting like explaining the name of Antifa somehow defends the action of an organization that has disrupted peaceful protests and instigated riots, torched an affordable housing complex meant for a minority community, fire bombed multiple black and minority-owned business, defaced and fire bombed a Civil Rights landmark in Nashville, and sown so much chaos they are now suspending meals on wheel programs in cities, and food drives for people affected by the Coronavirus, is a dangerous looking away in what is truly racism in action, despite what Antifa’s stated cause is purported to be.
June 1, 2020 @ 1:25 pm
By all reports it is infilteating white nationalists and just plain old assholes who want to smash things, that are the agitators.
And, looking at some of these comments I understand why a lot of country artists are afraid to speak out lest they are hit with the dreaded Dixie Chicks Effect….
June 1, 2020 @ 1:37 pm
No, not by all reports. Not by a long shot. Most reports are blaming Antifa and affiliated groups. It is also true that there have been some instances where right wing extremists have embedded themselves in crowds as well. But Antifa and similar groups are making a concerted effort to escalate rallies into riots, and to destroy private and public property. Violence is enshrined in their ideology. We can debate back and forth just what Antifa is. But to act like it’s a few intellectuals in a think tank that are against fascism is extremely misleading.
June 2, 2020 @ 7:30 am
Can’t argue with stupid.
May 31, 2020 @ 8:24 am
I stopped over in Nashville on my way to Texas last night, saw the protest march and everything. Ate dinner at around 9 o’clock and there was no vandalism yet, the mayor ordered the curfew and on the way back to the hotel I caught some tear gas that had spread through the streets after the tried to break up the protests. After that folks must’ve started rioting cause sirens rang through the night
May 31, 2020 @ 12:38 pm
Kyle, you make a point I made earlier. The mayor made a very bad decision trying to put in a curfew at such a late time. It should have been done hours earlier. He only put police in an impossible position.
May 31, 2020 @ 8:24 am
here in canada we’re watching , like many of our american neighbours , in aghast . the consensus up here amongst friends , family and many news sources is that this violence has indeed been building and is targeted at the president for his words and behaviour since being elected as much as at the police officers who committed the crime and the inequalities .
during the pandemic , we have worried , wondered and been completely bewildered by president trump’s seeming lack of understanding , lack of empathy and his adversarial nature more prominently on display than ever .i’m not saying this kind of ‘leadership’ couldn’t happen anywhere on the globe ….yes in canada as well .only that it is so sad to see a situation that may have been averted with a more understanding and caring individual representing the good in america .president trump’s agenda seems always to be politically motivated and geared to him remaining powerful in his own eyes .
So sad to watch people and cities put through this particularly in these already-frightening times . I ‘m certain my comments will offend some . just trying to bring a ‘foreign’ perspective to the events unfolding to the south of us .
May 31, 2020 @ 9:55 am
Oh no, one guy who can only be president for 8 (4 is bad enough!!!! lets cry) years has totally ruined the world and his words carry such significance that they drive people insane. Hmm…I remember more “race” incidents and riots under the previous caring President….Besides, most of these riots happen to liberal Utopian cities, many in liberal Utopian states. Simplistic way of viewing it, but these liberal cities are often extremely segregated, I can only assume this is what utopia is.
Ha! caring… pandemic blah blah must social distance, oh no..worthy virtue cause lets all protest together. Caring white liberals act like parents to minorities treating them like dumb kids (used to do it to the working class before they moved on) and in the most racist and toxic way possible, hold them to lower standards than themselves. Considering how caring white liberal families are the spawn of ANTIFA shits, consumed by guilt but willing to give up nothing, they then go to these “protests” and help burn down businesses that are either minority owned or employ plenty of minorities (many larger commercial stores might not rebuild), maybe even kill a black cop, because its all about race…not anarchy surely. I mean if they truly cared, they would care for all individuals, blacks killed by blacks for example, only matters when killed by a white guy! Only then does the live of a non-white person matter..until the virtual signal metre is full or the political gain diminishes, next cause! . Bored and tired of those who create real racial problems pretending they are solving it. I do not think it will always be peaceful without them, but they do not help and they make it all about themselves and any extended cause they wish to push.
Police should do the following at these protests;
Pull out from the wealthiest areas around liberal cities (majority), where a huge majority of the ANTIFA and dumb spoilt little shits are bred, lets see them terrorise their own neighbourhoods rather than bringing it to poor areas where any business burnt to the ground and large commercials stores destroyed are less likely to open up again and with that, lost jobs.
Any large groups of people wish to protest about how they are feel, feeling of humiliation, prejudice..right on go make your point. However remove the whites from within the groups that do their usual fake caring look at me BS. Since the US has many segregated areas, its not difficult to see who should not be there causing trouble. Allow the community leaders to take responsibility for their own message and actions and if they too, wish to burn their own community, oh well.
My family has had the the Ottomans burn them in church’s, enslave them, butchered in 2 world wars, my grandmother in a Nazi camp…sorry you do not have the latest Iphone and sorry all you care about is taking what someone else has, enjoy your nothing 🙂
May 31, 2020 @ 12:13 pm
Said it before and I’ll say it again….I don’t know who whines and cries “poor, persecuted me!!” more often; social justice liberals or evangelical conservatives. Trump and Obama both have played that card to death. We live in a contemporary America where a President and politicians, regardless of party affiliation, teach victimhood on a daily basis. Teddy Roosevelt is rolling in his grave at the weak men that have held office the past 30 years.
May 31, 2020 @ 12:45 pm
Is your name Donald Trump by any chanc.
May 31, 2020 @ 12:42 pm
Albert, I am Irish. The real kind, living here in Ireland. Today the Irish protested at the American Embassy here in Dublin over this murder. It was peaceful. In the UK similar protests. All peaceful.
May 31, 2020 @ 2:22 pm
I don’t like to get involved in this at all, but the policeman who committed the murder is under arrest. What he did was wrong. Peaceful protests like MLK Jr. did are fine. But why should people in Ireland and the UK be protesting what happens here in America?? It is a sorry world we live in. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone…..
Onto Country music!!
June 1, 2020 @ 6:41 am
Terry, what happens in the USA almost always spreads its way to Europe. Country, Rock, Fashion, Movies and so on. A fair number of those protesting here in Ireland, UK, Germany, France and so on are actually ex-pat Americans or Americans working/studying abroad. But your final point is great “onto country music”‘.
May 31, 2020 @ 5:34 pm
If you’re not a voting citizen then shut up about our president.
May 31, 2020 @ 6:46 pm
I don’t seem to recall that one in the SCM commenting rules.
June 1, 2020 @ 3:38 am
If you didn’t vote in an election, you have no right to criticize the current president. And since he’s Canadian, he didn’t vote.
June 1, 2020 @ 5:13 am
Yes. Its a bit like Neil Young constantly scolding the South. Mind your own business or ruminate on the faults and failings of your own people. There certainly is enough for Canadians to make penance for.
June 1, 2020 @ 6:24 am
people can criticize whoever/whatever they want. i’m sure you’ve had thoughts of things outside of the united states? actually never mind.
June 1, 2020 @ 8:04 am
I think we are all entitled to our opinions when events or policies in a foreign country have potential repercussions for our own ( testing nuclear missiles , not reporting on the severity of a pandemic , ”detaining” foreign citizens unlawfully or making them pawns in a political or economic game , unfair and/or unlawful trade embargos ,etc… ) .Canadians , like Americans are , like it or not , part of a global village . Countries and cultures count on each other to be responsible to that village in more ways than ever before and that includes , of course , human rights and health and safety issues . I believe that the mishandling , or even perceived mishandling , of issues related to these areas are EVERYONE’S concerns and we ALL have a responsibility to respectfully speak up and/or act if we want to ensure positive changes, protection of rights and minimize global repercussions to same . There are many examples throughout history where the world should have spoken up sooner to avoid catastrophic actions and having to step in to address , support and protect people from injustices which jeopardized , and in many cases , ignored human rights .
May 31, 2020 @ 9:33 am
It’s nonsensical as well as opportunistic and criminal to target privately-owned Nashville businesses, already hit hard by COVID-19 closures, in response to an act of police brutality in Minneapolis. I read this morning that only 28 people were arrested in Nashville last night, which seems insufficient to me. I’d also argue that the sort of behavior we saw in Nashville last night is actually counterproductive to the anti-racism cause.
May 31, 2020 @ 2:59 pm
It’s nonsensical to think that the incident in Minneapolis in isolated. It happens regularly across the country and people are fed up with it. Their peaceful protests were not heard (just ask Colin K). So they’ve moved on to something that can’t be ignored.
“In some town in Missouri
But it could be anywhere
It could be right here on Ruth Street
In fact it’s happened here
And it happened where you’re sitting
Wherever that might be
And it happened last weekend
And it will happen again next week”
Fire is catching.
May 31, 2020 @ 10:17 am
The majority of cities experiencing this are Democrat-run shitholes. Nashville is just one more.
Democrats need black communities to suffer for votes. Plain and simple.
May 31, 2020 @ 5:44 pm
And all of the Democrat mayors of all of these cities have universally condemned the looting and destruction, and called for calm and peaceful protest. The forces behind these riots are beyond the ideology of the Democrat party. They’re where the extreme left meets the ideology of anarchy.
May 31, 2020 @ 1:24 pm
“While no one condones looting, on the other hand, one can understand the pent-up feelings that may result from decades of repression and people who have had members of their family killed by that regime, for them to be taking their feelings out on that regime… And I don’t think there’s anyone in any of those pictures … (who wouldn’t) accept it as part of the price of getting from a repressed regime to freedom.” Donald Rumsfeld, 2003
May 31, 2020 @ 2:28 pm
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahaha
May 31, 2020 @ 2:52 pm
Just in case anybody missed it, Big Tex just advocated for race war or killing black people or some such. Unless I’m misunderstanding “plan b”? I’m going to have to say that regardless of how anyone views this weekend’s events, Big Tex’s post is a fucking embarrassment to this site.
May 31, 2020 @ 3:01 pm
I stopped reading after “For the past 55 years blacks and, more recently, mestizos, have been given favorable special treatment here in the USA”
Are you really that fucking stupid?
May 31, 2020 @ 2:09 pm
Will we ever get to see the officer’s body cam footage? Is there not a chance that resisting arrest led to use of excessive force and anger? Never a good idea to resist arrest.. only escalates the situation. Better off letting the lawyers settle it. Judging just by the originally released video, it’s sure looks obvious that excessive force was used. But I’ll bet something triggered that action, and we have not yet seen and heard everything that led up to that unfortunate ending. Of course, still no excuse for using excessive force. But adrenaline causes bad things happen in the heat of the moment.
That said, yes there are plenty of racist cops, no doubt about that. But not most of them. It’s an extremely difficult job, full of no-win situations. And it’s scary to watch the enraged & encouraged mob inflict their form of justice before ALL the facts are known. If the officer’s real intent was to kill George, then why didn’t he just shoot him?
Feel free to attack me. I won’t waste my time responding.
June 1, 2020 @ 6:30 am
jim, what would you have to see on the body cam footage to reconcile the footage we’ve already seen of the cop kneeling on the guy’s neck for ten minutes until he died?
May 31, 2020 @ 3:04 pm
If the officer’s real intent was to kill George, then why didn’t he just shoot him?
I believe it’s called depraved indifference.
May 31, 2020 @ 4:41 pm
A lawyer’s perspective: https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/05/what-we-do-and-dont-know-now-about-george-floyds-death/
We don’t know yet what happened in the car. For the record, my opinion is that Chauvin, with 18 prior problems with behavior and apparently ignored by city officials, acted with depraved indifference and is justly being prosecuted.
But we don’t know all the details that would affect the legal case and charges.
May 31, 2020 @ 6:18 pm
Just learned about the 18 prior complaints on Chauvin. Appears that his superiors may also be at some fault for not dealing with this bad cop earlier.
May 31, 2020 @ 6:22 pm
The shit you’ve had to write about this year! If you go back and read some of your articles from 10 years ago, then read them from this year, you have to ask yourself “where did I make that wrong turn?”
May 31, 2020 @ 7:05 pm
this makes me sad – i really thought this would be the last place I would see music talk go to politics – I loved this site…but this is ridiculous – go post on news sites! Not music!!!
June 1, 2020 @ 8:22 am
I apologize because I enjoy this website and allowed myself to get caught up in the discussion.
Question, I am really into Western Swing music and wondering if anyone has any recommendations of current Western Swing groups for me to listen to. Asleep at the Wheel, Hot Club of Cowntown, 50 Shades of Hay are some I know but looking for others. Thanks!
June 1, 2020 @ 8:31 am
https://thewesternswingauthority.com/
June 1, 2020 @ 9:11 am
Thanks Albert!
May 31, 2020 @ 11:34 pm
My family is mixed black and white but last night it all went out the window as I and many others spent the night by the front door with a shotgun, and my kids hiding scared on the back because rioters and looters made it next door. That’s where I draw the line on politics, race or whatever. Anyone who is okay with doing that to innocents is worse than trash.
June 1, 2020 @ 6:27 am
“Our country it totally fractured and, with our weak leadership in Washington, you can expect Ferguson type riots and looting in other places.” – Donald Trump November 25, 2014
June 1, 2020 @ 3:03 pm
Systematic racism does not exist. Only naive millennials believe otherwise.
Bully cops kill people of all races.
June 1, 2020 @ 6:38 pm
Here’s one far-from-millennial who believes systematic (systemic) racism exists.
June 1, 2020 @ 8:07 pm
Deborah and Bob live in Waterloo, Iowa. They grew up racist in the 60’s, but with the limited contact with blacks, they have always had pleasant experiences and they seem to be leaving their racism in the past. They turn the Sunday news on and see a black man gets killed by a cop. The Monday news shows peaceful BLM protests. Then the Tuesday night news shows people looting and setting buildings on fire. Even though most black protesters are peaceful and many of the looters are white, guess who is racist again.
All this looting is doing is enforcing racism and making the problem worse
June 5, 2020 @ 7:23 pm
Been through several of these situations over the course of 60 years. Never, never have these protests, marches, riots resulted in one iota of change.