About an hour before a #blacklivesmatter rally is set to start Sunday night at Tippecanoe County Courthouse, about a hundred at corners of Fourth and Main. 
The early crowd took a lap around the courthouse here in downtown Lafayette.
Now heading up Columbia Street through Sunday traffic.
Now a lap around Lafayette City Hall, two blocks from the courthouse. “Keep it peaceful, y’all,” says the leader. After that, the conversations flow on their own.
How many? This is about a quarter of it at this point.
How many? This is about a quarter of it at this point.
This parking lot onSictg Street is typically filled with Lafayette Police vehicles and city cars. Empty tonight behind the orange cones.
Also, follow @EmilyDeLetter and @nikosfrazier, who will be out front for the J&C tonight.
Fourth Street blocked outside the Tippecanoe County Courthouse.
LPD text alert that just went out.
Some all lives matter shirts mixed in.
At Fourth and Main, 8:05 pm. Downtown Lafayette.
This was a second wave coming down Main Street. About three blocks solid. Separate from the intersection filled a few minutes ago at courthouse. (Speed edit...)
After another session at city hall, procession heads up South Street. People are scattered in groups around downtown.
Outside city hall, Demonstrator asks Tony Roswarski, “What’s your position with the city?”
“I’m the mayor.”
“I’m the mayor.”
Sadie Harper-Scott, head of local NAACP, with West Lafayette Mayor John Dennis. County Council member John Basham in the background.
This is a big chunk of the rally, returning downtown on Columbia Street, from a march up to Five Points, a dozen blocks up the hill. Time lapse, waking against the flow from Sixth to Eighth.
Traffic is parked on Columbia at Fourth, as masses fill Fourth Street side of courthouse square.
Big crowd, shaky panorama.
Here’s another view, Tippecanoe County Courthouse, East side, 9:30 pm Sunday.
From courthouse steps, they get the crowd quiet enough to tell everyone to head to the John T. Myers Pedestrian Bridge over the Wabash River. About four blocks away.
For what it’s worth, police have been around. But mainly on periphery, so far. Things have been loud — and pointed — but calm.
Talked to Tippecanoe County Sheriff Bob Goldsmith, who said it was a conscious effort not to have police shoulder to shoulder at the courthouse. Let demonstrators have the steps after they initially were blocked off. “It’s not really is against them,” he says.
Note: person behind sheriff has been trailing the rally, picking up water bottles, etc. Several at courthouse picking up as March heads to pedestrian bridge. (And possibly Purdue?)
And they are headed to Purdue. I am just in the Chase group
And back from the West Lafayette Village, a few blocks from Purdue. For context: crowd fills State Street from about Von’s Books to the River Road intersection. Followed by a parade of sympathetic cars. (And some not so sympathetic.)
That doesn’t include the pods of people who stopped on the bridge, asking, “Campus? Not me.”
Back across the Wabash on the main bridges. Greeted with cheers at the courthouse.
Now back on courthouse steps, this time on Columbia Street side.
Definitely a younger crowd at this point. Just spent time pounding on upstairs courthouse doors (which are closed to the public
Things devolved fast. Tear gas. Bricks and big rocks at courthouse from crowd left after protest. Looks like Police dropping canisters from balcony of courthouse.
Tear gas coming down Columbia Street as Police mobilized around courthouse. That stuff is for real.
I had to retreat. @EmilyDeLetter and @nikosfrazier are on other side and sound ok.
Lafayette Police at Fifth and Columbia as crowd, pushed back from courthouse. Some in crowd arguing with neighbors. Others taunting police. Police on big equipment scatter folks. Smell of gas is thick.
Police moving block by block along Fifth Street, Main to Columbia to South to Alabama, as those left yell, Throw another one!
I’m definitely on the downwind side on this conflict.
I can say this all broke apart when the march came across the bridge and the crowd got younger. When someone started beating on the big wooden courthouse doors on the second floor, all bets were off, it seemed. Went from nearly zero police to full force in no time.
More shots, looks like near Sixth And South based on the gas plumes. I’m stuck south of the courthouse with no real way to get through it to check for damage, if any. (Or get home without taking a long, long way around.) Apts on this side of downtown getting a dose, for sure.
It’s 12:25 am. Still some shouted taunts across downtown. Indiana State Police mobilizing around courthouse. Looks like they’re in other parts of downtown. Police in tactical gear still deployed around courthouse.
Courthouse tagged with anti-cop graffiti.
Window busted out at the Purdue Federal Credit Union, Fourth and Main.
That would be gas canisters shot.
Made it home safely. Now just listening to a new line of sirens heading out. Taste of pepper still in my throat. About a quarter cup of snot rockets into the sink.
What a depressing night it turned into.
What a depressing night it turned into.
For those following the posts on the ground, here's a look at things from @EmilyDeLetter.
Still a ton to answer on what felt like two distinct nights. jconline.com/story/news/202…
Still a ton to answer on what felt like two distinct nights. jconline.com/story/news/202…
Not that any of you are, or should be, awake now, but here's a bit more of an update out of tonight. jconline.com/story/news/202…
