A scheduled protest and demonstration outside of Boise City Hall on Tuesday night turned confrontational. For the past several weeks, across our nation and our world, protests and gatherings speaking out against injustice and discrimination have been LOUD--so loud that change has already been implemented in many faucets of society thus far--taking small steps towards progress.  The issues at hand, as a lot of attention has turned to police and police brutality, have been heated.

An otherwise planned peaceful gathering on the steps of City Hall Tuesday night was met with a large group of counter-protesters. In a nation where free-speech is our right, several conflicting opinions were being shared, shouted, and met with real tension, as could be expected.

Now, after videos surfaced of serious confrontation on the steps of Boise City Hall which included everything from shouting matches and even physical altercations, the Boise Police Department and Mayor Lauren McLean have both, separately, spoken out.

Mayor McLean has said that she condemns the actions of counter-protesters which she says brought on violence and intimidation. The Boise Police Department has now shared that criminal charges may be possible after reviewing videos and they wish that folks protesting had felt more safe.

While free-speech is a beautiful thing, some showings of blatant racism, like Nazi symbolism being worn by some, was disheartening for our special city. Here's to hoping both sides are allowed to continue expressing themselves--peacefully--moving forward.

KEEP READING: See changes enacted since George Floyd’s death

 

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