HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — Communities across the nation continue to hold demonstrations in remembrance of George Floyd and to bring awareness to racial injustice.
Portsmouth City Council held a virtual meeting at 5 p.m. Wednesday to discuss the Confederate monument, ahead of the Black Lives Matter protest scheduled for 7:57 p.m.
Read more about the results of that meeting and more coverage here.
Watch a recap of Wednesday night here:
Here is the latest timeline of events:
9:30 p.m. — Virginia State Police say Chris Green is still alive and in stable condition.
11 a.m. — Virginia State Police say they are investigating the serious injury of Chris Green after last night’s incident. They say Green is still alive but his injuries are life-threatening. Portsmouth police asked VSP to conduct the investigation, and VSP says the Portsmouth Commonwealth’s Attorney will determine if any charges will be filed.
10:36 a.m. — Black Lives Matter 757 identified the man severely injured during Wednesday night’s demonstration at the Portsmouth monument as Chris Green, and shared a GoFundMe page that’s been authorized by his family to help with medical expenses. The group says they’ll share updates on his condition when it becomes available. As of 10:50 a.m. $1,800 had been donated by 53 people toward the $5,000 goal.
Rocky Hines, who started the GoFundMe, said Green was trying to move people out of the way before the statue fell on him. Hines spoke with Green’s sister, who said he is not out of the woods, but is doing better than he was last night. He is responding to neurological testing.
10:10 a.m. — Portsmouth City Council will hold another special virtual meeting Thursday night at 5 p.m. on the city’s website and the city’s Facebook page. Meetings are also broadcast on PCTV at Cox 48, Verizon FiOs 39 and YouTube.
Earlier Thursday morning — Part of Court Street around Portsmouth’s Confederate monument is still blocked off Thursday morning after Wednesday night’s demonstration, with people coming out to survey the damage.
10 On Your Side is working to get an update on the man who was knocked unconscious and taken to the hospital after being struck in the head when one of the soldier statues on the monument was pulled down. The president of Black Lives Matter 757 told 10 On Your Side on Wednesday night that he could see part of the man’s skull after it happened and he was bleeding.
Later Wednesday night
Police Chief Angela Greene spoke to the press after Wednesday night’s events, saying “it was a very unfortunate incident that should’ve never escalated to this.”
She says she gave no order to officers to ignore the destruction of the monument, but rather a local elected official directed them to let the vandalism to continue.
10:15 p.m. — Portsmouth Police are asking people to avoid the area of Court Street at High Street — where the Confederate monument is located — as they “disperse demonstrators and investigate an incident that resulted in a citizen getting injured.”
9:40 p.m. — A protester with a megaphone is encouraging members of the protest to disperse.
9:30 p.m. — Around 9:30 p.m., the remaining crowd of protesters grew nearly silent as a man with a megaphone talked to the group.
Many protesters kneeled.
A Portsmouth Police spokeswoman confirmed there was an injury at the protest but said the extent is unknown.
The president of Black Lives Matter 757 told WAVY’s Brett Hall the man who was injured appeared to be in his 30s. The statue appeared to fall directly on him and his injuries appeared severe.
He is asking everyone to pray for the man.
9:15 p.m. — Activities at the monument in Portsmouth became quiet as a person appeared to be injured.
WAVY News 10’s Brett Hall reports a man was hit by the falling statue and injured. Video below shows the moment the statue fell on the man (warning: graphic video)
A person with a megaphone is telling the group to disperse.
Police started putting yellow tape around the monument.
8:50 p.m. — Protesters have continued to take down pieces of the Confederate monument in downtown Portsmouth.
A brass band as the scene took on a party-like atmosphere.
8:30 p.m. — Protesters are gathered at the Confederate monument in Portsmouth and have broken apart some pieces of it.
They have also put additional paint on the monument and tied ropes around the soldier on the statue.
8 p.m. — The Portsmouth NAACP said it plans to protest at the Portsmouth Confederate monument Wednesday night “until … until the right thing is done.”
Protesters climbed back on the monument and continued to add to the paint from earlier Wednesday.
Mayor John Rowe said during a meeting Wednesday he believes police made the right call to not step in and enforce vandalism charges. He called the monument just “a piece of rock.”
6:30 p.m. — Hundreds walked for the Black Justice March in Suffolk.
Police officers and sheriff’s deputies planned to march alongside the crowd.
People in the crowd took a knee at the end of the march, including a Suffolk Police officer.
WAVY News Reporter Geena Arevalo will have more coverage later tonight at 10 p.m. on FOX 43 and 11 p.m. on WAVY-TV 10.
3:45 p.m. — Chopper 10 with aerial coverage of the protests in Portsmouth.
3 p.m. — WAVY’s Andy Fox goes live from the protests in Portsmouth at the Confederate monument. People are seen in groups standing on the monument spray painting “Remove the Stain” and “BLM” after James Boyd and Louie Gibbs from the Portsmouth NAACP were arrested by Portsmouth Police on trespassing charges.
*Video & photo courtesy: Andy Fox*
2:14 p.m. — Black Lives Matter 757 tweeted a video that shows a group of people standing on the Confederate monument in Portsmouth spray painting it. The Twitter account announced a planned “Remove the Stain” rally at the monument tonight at 7:57 p.m.
*DISCLAIMER: This video may contain explicit content.*
2 p.m. — “Latinos for Black Lives Meet” gather for a scheduled peaceful protest on the north side of Victory Blvd between City Hall Avenue and Wythe Creek Road in Poquoson.
12:58 p.m. — WAVY’s Andy Fox speaks with James Boyd and Louie Gibbs from the Portsmouth NAACP after being released from trespassing charges by Portsmouth Police.
12:15 p.m. — The City of Suffolk announced closures on North Main Street from Constance Road to West Washington Street for the planned “Black Justice March” protest. The street closures begin at 5:45 p.m. with protestors expected to lineup at 6 p.m., and the march underway at 6:30 p.m.
11:50 a.m. — Two Portsmouth NAACP leaders, including Portsmouth chapter president James Boyd, were arrested in handcuffs by Portsmouth police at the city’s Confederate monument during a protest Wednesday.
The arrest happened just before WAVY’s Andy Fox was about to go live on-air with Boyd.
View the list of planned protests in Hampton Roads HERE.
