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As the mayor and police chief of Raleigh held a joint news conference hours before activists held their own, business owners continue the clean-up process following last weekend's protests and riots.

RALEIGH, N.C. — As the mayor and police chief of Raleigh held a joint news conference hours before activists held their own, business owners continue the clean-up process following last weekend's protests and riots.

"They destroyed the TVs, the windows, the doors," said Rashid Salahat, owner of the Subway on Fayetteville Street. He gave WRAL an inside look at the destruction to his location, which was hit hard by looters nearly a week ago.

"This door completely destroyed," Salahat said.

Raleigh Demands Justice, one of the organizers of recent local protests, outlines demands for change to in police conduct, accountability and racism.

Keely Arthur

Darrell Pryor

Jason O. Boyd

Raleigh protest organizers outline demands

Raleigh Demands Justice meeting

Salahat said he was protesting peacefully earlier in the day last Saturday before all of the damage took place. Now, he's left picking up the pieces, literally.

"I did not expect this to my store, being part of the community," Salahat said. "Here's the stone, one of the brick stones, one of the stones they did (use)."

Mayor of Raleigh Mary-Ann Baldwin holds a press conference one week after protests over the death of George Floyd began in the city. 

I feel like I see nobody chicken Thank you You got good Okay No Sure you got me You got me Just let us know how close we can go without getting in the shot right over here Okay What You what Okay Right Good work Yeah What Yeah Okay Good morning Thank you all for being here My name is Damien Graham I'm the communications director for the City of Raleigh This morning we have Mayor Marion Baldwin City Manager Ruffin Hall and Police Chief Cassandra Deck Brown What's gonna happen is the mayor's gonna come out and read a statement and then she will take questions Good morning everyone Thank you for being here today Our collective experience of just the last week has been unprecedented and overwhelming Last night we heard for more than 130 residents in our virtual meeting and there's still many more want and need to be heard It was just the beginning of a larger and longer dialogue Our community needs to have the stain A systemic racism has plagued our country since long before its founding White supremacy was codified in America's founding documents with the legalization of slavery and continued through generations of government sanctioned discrimination at all levels of government This is a history that black and brown individuals in North Carolina know all too well and the truth we all need to face if we are to make riel change our city our state and our nation are at a turning point Centuries of racial discrimination have brought us here I want to make clear that black lives matter George Floyd and the countless other black and brown Americans who have lost their lives to senseless police violence rooted in racism their lives matter those that are taking to the streets and protest a right to call out these injustices And I am committing myself to listen and learn what happened last weekend was unacceptable The city will be receiving a report and reviewing all incidents of use of force City Council members will also participate in racial equity training this summer Wednesday night I watched it was inspired by President Obama's Town Hall on police reform and I signed the pledge to address police use of force policies in our city  At our next City council meeting we will make appointments to a citizen police advisory board I'm going to ask that as the four first order of business they review campaign zeros Eight Can't WAIT Recommendations to decrease police violence This includes a formal ban on the use of chokeholds and strangle holds in a requirement for de escalation in every possible situation While the Raleigh Police Department currently complies with many of the eight can't wait recommendations way believe a transparent review of all policies is necessary in the interest of continued public safety and to support those that are peacefully protest ing I'm also announcing today that will be extending the 10 p.m. Curfew through Sunday night This is not an easy decision I recognize that this will cause hardship many in our community who have already suffered under the pressures of Kobe  19 in the violence from the weekend our small businesses we're just getting back on their feet They were just opening their doors way hope that by setting the time of the curfew at 10 that they will be able to operate and continue to serve their customers and continue to get their businesses back on foot  We're asking that all in Raleigh continue to comply with the 10 p.m. curfew girl over the last four days has been to maintain the safety of all residents to prevent injuries and destruction of property and to avoid making arrest We have been successful in that regard and we ask the public to help ensure that this continues throughout the weekend Folks we're living in an important moment in history and that becomes clearer with each passing moment The events of this year alone have taken a heavy toll on everyone Now more than ever way need grace and understanding a global health pandemic intense political division skyrocketing unemployment and the continued prevalence of racism and police Violence in our society has reopened deep personal and societal wounds that have never healed These issues have been brought to the forefront as well as economic inequities and injustices that have never been properly addressed My hope is that we seize this moment and demonstrate that riel lasting change is possible Our community thrives on our different experiences in our diversity and it's important at this moment especially for each of us to recognize that our individual experiences are not a universally shared experience We all have blind spots Racism though should have no place in our city's future  But in order to build that future together when we need to have tough conversations about our past like we did last night we must listen and learn from one another This is our opportunity When I ran for mayor I committed to build a city of progress in compassion I'm committed to that now more than ever And I look forward to building that city with all of you Thank you Mayor Baldwin Do you regret not having the curfew earlier Maybe Sunday  Genuine regret not having the curfew Sunday night after what happened Saturday night could that have avoided more violence The question was Do I regret not having a curfew in place on Sunday night Yes hindsight is 2020 though with the information that we had at the time we hope that wouldn't be necessary Um we found out otherwise and it's a regret I will live with Do you feel like the um again Amanda Lamb Sorry  WRL do you feel like the fact that we have not had violence the last few nights is is in part a tribute to the perfume I think it's several things I think the curfew has helped It is allowed our police to focus on ensuring that the public is safe and that there was no property descript destruction or damage The curfew I believe also sent a message that we will not tolerate that kind of violence But I also think that the community has come forward  They're the ones who are staying at home They're the ones saying yes we we don't condone this either and allowing peaceful protesters to come out I mean like I said our goal has been no more property damage no injuries no arrest And that's been our focus To that end Is the city going to do anything to help small businesses rebuild So we we had started a small business grant program in response to Cove It um we um put in a $1,000,000 and we have been raising money from our corporate community to help support that effort We have more than $500,000 in donations Way will continue that effort and encourage our business community to apply for Those grants were also making it easier relaxing rules so they can repair um what has been damaged and destroyed here next One way my life here So um the Police advisory board has been discussed for a long time When the new council came in it was one of the first steps we took to create this advisory board  Up until I think two weeks ago we only had seven applicants Way re opened the application process We thought people were probably distracted by cove It we reopened that process We now have 100 50 applicants and staff is currently going through that sorting the resumes and will have that information presented to us It's important because we need As you said this has been talked about for many years This is the moment this is the opportunity It's important to have that transparency And I think the public is looking for us toe act with urgency I'll keep going Okay You go No no You that you're Wow Well we have been working with Bill King Um and I am setting up a meeting to talk with our downtown business owners next week to learn more about what we can do is a city to assist them You know I see Rick French out here He told me yesterday This is one of those difficulties we're gonna have to deal with right now To get the best measurement for glass you have to take down the boards so we're gonna have people taking town boards and putting them back up It's a major undertaking So we're gonna be talking about all of these issues and seeing how we can assist I will also tell you we had 200 volunteers out here last weekend helping with repairs We turned away thousands more This community came together Saturday in Sunday morning to repair what had been broken And I know those people will be coming back I know they're committed I know they care And we all care about our business community there the life blood of our city They provide jobs they provide a cultural soul They provide the spirit that has come to define downtown and way will do everything we can to bring that spirit back as faras This strategy from how you guys have handled this over the weekend to now And I know you've been working closely with the police department you know Saturday and Sunday night we saw these lines and police officers you know in their tactical gear  We haven't seen that since then It's been a lot more amicable in terms of the interactions and also the police chief coming out and talking last night Is this something you guys have been talking about and working on How do we interface with the protesters I'm gonna let the chief respond to that Thank you I think it's important first of all to just recognize the sequence of events that took place on Saturday And that being said what started out was a very peaceful event I don't know that I would even call it a protest In the very beginning it was probably more of a vigil Um conversations were being made on the steps of the courthouse own viable story and then folk decided to begin walking People do that every single day in this city But then what happened Waas brought They stormed the courthouse are the Wake County building and they went up into the salad board that changes things  And we as a community have to recognize that that changes what was a peaceful protest and then rocks were hurled at officers that's no longer a peaceful protest and none of us can afford to allow officers or citizens to get her or residents to get her But when it changed we have to respond to because then individuals are literally being harmed out there and over the course of the week we then saw where things changed again And so the resource is that you bring out at one point or maybe not necessarily utilized at a different and our greater goal is that we recognize this is everybody There is a difference in rallying There's a difference in peaceful protests And they said and though those air separated altogether from sheer anarchy in anarchy is not a peaceful protest and that is what you saw and you didn't just see it downtown you saw it throughout the city You saw it in Midtown in North Heels You saw it all the way up trying a town centre It impacted many places throughout this city and resource is our lead it accordingly Those of you who videotaped all of this activity you saw it on the very beginning And not only does the community have a responsibility and not only do we have a responsibility and this gives us the opportunity to reevaluate how we do things as well where we can build relationships But just as quickly as you showed And I'm speaking to our media just as quickly as you showed a camera and somebody breaking a window at North Heels and damaging property somebody could have picked up the telephone and called 9112 Everybody has a responsibility When we see this kind of behavior happening in our city we all own this It's more than just a show that you follow the bad behavior to be out there to have a sound bite There's a responsibility and accountability to tell the story but to help prevent it also And we need that as well not just the law enforcement side Government needs it The community needs people that you're telling the story too  You sat there and watched their their their businesses be destroyed their property within the businesses hold out and destroyed  We each have a responsibility to identify what accountability looks like and what we saw and the results of Fayetteville that's unacceptable beyond measure So would you say that it's a combination of the crowd calming a little bit and your response to it that has created a much better I'm sorry would you say it's a combination of police response and the crowd changing their ways That has created a much more peaceful event every night since that time I think it's a combination of things People came with an intention to do the damage that they do you on any given day You don't find that many rocks on any sidewalk in this city So people came with an intentionality to do damage to cause harm to create anarchy And we have to call that like it is But when when law enforcement when these officers when our community that same community that existed before Saturday can come out and do what we do best and work on those relationships they're not perfect and you've never heard Mia's chief say that But when we do that and we find that place that we can talk and dialogue and make a difference then you see what has happened over the last several days Also part of that was you speaking to the protesters and I mean did you feel like did you feel like That was an important thing for you to dio the other night And if I didn't I wouldn't have been there We all have a role and having that conversation Yes You know part of the protest is black and brown people We lock up we take the jail we arrest So is there a way to prevent some of that Is there a way to have a conversation Was there a middle of the road compromise Was it worth it It waas it waas And these kinds of situations don't don't afford any of us to work with in a box with a little bow on set on the side of it These situations we've used this word time and time again unprecedented These situations are holly and President and in this city we've seen riots throughout this country But there's no there's no packaged way to deal with so you have to deal with it as you see fit at that time based on the circumstances that we're faced with at that time I don't know that I would have accomplished as much had we decided to like everybody up rather than come out and have a conversation and give him another 15 minutes to walk around the Capitol Square and go home So would you say it's top down In other words them seeing the police chief coming out I mean it makes a difference but I haven't been out here with every group Amanda and people have gone home That was a hand pool that stayed after the curfew  But people have come here and they peacefully demonstrate all the time They do it all the time This is the legislative pump of the state of North Carolina There's always somebody on the sidewalk always somebody with the sign always somebody having to have a voice That's every day in this city and it's from one person to thousands of people depending on the situation dependent on those circumstances it dictates what the resource is Sometimes it's what you saw with these officers in tactical gear but sometimes and more often than not when you hear with what the mayor said when we're talking about race in the 21st century it's still a prevailing issue in this country And please don't think because I'm in this uniform that I don't get discriminated against But sometimes all you need is a conversation But people have to be willing to hear it too  Okay Thank you What I'm not here in the last part of the question Second guess over the last several days You know what I regret as chief is that this had to happen under my watch period that this the capital city in the state of North Carolina saw this kind of behavior and in some instances by people who don't live here That's what I regret That's what I regret because as I've seen it started out with people just walking We had no reason to anticipate officers were gonna be tell us throwing rocks and papers That's what I regret that that anarchy came here to this That's what I regret Uh why the Rally Police Department is an accredited department And what that means in more instances than not is that our policies are far more stringent than others These officers here from May that it is incumbent upon each of us to police each of us and they don't get a pass to pretend something didn't happen There are consequences for that There are no exceptions for that So this isn't new here now policy Is it perfect Absolutely not And what I believe will come out of the advisory board is an opportunity to further review our policies and make them even stronger than they are But I do know that the constant review of our policy and procedure and best practices um exist your last question you know and you guys have seen these There have been petitions online saying we want a change in leadership We want to change in the mirror We want to change in the police Chief do you guys put stock in that Or do you feel like you're just part of this unrest and civil discourse that's happening in our city right now Amanda people are angry They are venting and they want to be heard The fact is the Raleigh City Council supports our police  Chief Chief has 32 years of experience She has always been courageous compassionate professional and demonstrated grace  We have her back now and we support her Thank you Already turned it around No need to do a live shot Okay Ideo where you want to say I'm gonna stay right here Can you tell me What it iss I don't know what it is Okay I have it And I have it in her response I'm good Okay Thank you

Raleigh Mayor holds press conference after a week of protests in the city

While Salahat was trying to figure out what’s next, the mayor, police chief and activists were too. They agree that changes need to be made but don’t agree on what those are.

"We're at a time in history where we have the opportunity to right the wrongs of the past," said Kerwin Pittman, a social justice activist who lives in Raleigh.

At a news conference Friday, organizers of Raleigh Demands Justice and other groups wore T-shirts that said what the organizers want: a stronger police oversight board, less funding for the police department were at the top of the list along with Raleigh Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown to step down.

The owner of a downtown restaurant found windows smashed, furniture damaged after riots followed a protest about the treatment of George Floyd by police. He gave WRAL News a tour of the damage and outlined his plans to rebuild.

Thank you. So they destroyed the TV's. The windows hedged out the doors. The furniture losses went over the furniture. We're not gonna be able to use them. This door's completely destroyed. Even reached out all the way to the class up there and destroyed it. Here's the stone. One of the stones that next on they did here. Open toaster. Gosh, you just alluded. The place, All the ring. Some for that. The cooler. You notice that they bombed the cooler and took the brother out of it. All the tension here. Gloves as you see completely down. No drink. Right this way. Yes. I think this is not the way. Take Severus justice. Just this does not equal violence. I was with them. Participated with my Children, protesting with them. I did not expect this to happen to my store being part of the community members

Jodi Leese Glusco

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'Justice does not equal violence:' Business owner in Raleigh will rebuild, with community help

Earlier Friday, the chief got overwhelming support from Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin.

"She has always been courageous, compassionate, professional and demonstrated grace," Baldwin said. "We have her back now and we support her."

The protestors promised they’ll keep going until what they say will improve the situation is made a reality.

"To the mayor of Raleigh, Mary-Ann Baldwin, and chief of police, Cassandra Deck-Brown, if there's no justice, there will be no peace," Pittman said.

Minneapolis city council did approve police reforms which include banning choke holds and strengthening a current provisions requiring officers to intervene when officers act out. The activists at Friday's press conference said "It's that easy."

Raleigh protesters, mayor, police chief have different views on what's next as clean-up continues

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