Chief Ferguson: New Orleans ‘beacon of light’ during peaceful protests

NEW ORLEANS, La. (WVUE) -New Orleans Police Chief Shaun Ferguson, flanked by local faith leaders, said Tuesday that the city has been a “beacon of light on how to voice concerns without nonsense.”

An estimated thousand or more demonstrators flooded the streets in a call to action on Saturday. Starting at Duncan Plaza, they marched to NOPD headquarters calling for an end to police brutality and justice for the black men and women killed.

The protests were mostly peaceful. A stark contrast to what was seen over the weekend across the country, where police buildings burned and protesters confronted officers in an aggressive fashion. Many cities said most of the protesters were not engaged in criminal activities, but “agitators” were causing criminal damage in some cases.

Groups in New Orleans have scheduled protests through the week. Ferguson said the NOPD has received information that people from outside of the city could come to New Orleans.

“Do not take the bait,” he warned.

Ferguson commended the people of New Orleans on their peacefulness and promised he and the department would not tolerate those seeking to cause damage or violence.

“We expect protests to be peaceful. We will not allow outsiders to come in and destroy our city,” Ferguson said.

He also added that should the need arise, assistance from other law enforcement agencies would be made available.

Copyright 2020 WVUE. All rights reserved.