Mattawa sees peaceful protest

MATTAWA - On the evening of Monday, June 1, between 15 and 20 protesters were carrying signs and blocking traffic in front of Mattawa City Hall, protesting the death of George Floyd. Some of the protesters were from out of town.

According to a letter written by Mattawa Police Chief Joe Harris that was posted on Facebook on June 2, the police department received reports of unsafe and erratic driving on the part of the protesters, prompting contact by the Mattawa Police Department with the protesters

“The vast majority were peaceful, respectful and willing to talk,” Harris wrote. “The Mattawa Police Department assured them of our desire to facilitate their peaceful protest and that we wanted everyone to remain safe. We asked them to stay out of the roadway, not block traffic and not turn destructive or violent.”

In the letter, Harris said that the Mattawa Police Department “supports and defends” the right of citizens to “exercise their constitutional rights.”

“What happened to George Floyd is wrong, illegal and will not be tolerated by me, your police department or the policing industry,” Harris wrote. “We must all work together as a community to grieve, ensure justice, heal and move forward. Black, white, brown or whatever we are all humans and we are all important. We encourage peaceful protesting and want to make sure everyone is safe during the protest, even those who are not involved in the protest like business owners and other private citizens.”