Civil Rights

Nashville riots: Historic Metro Courthouse burns

By: J. Holly McCall - May 31, 2020 7:29 am

Nashville, Tenn. - A crowd outside Historic Metro Nashville Courthouse looks at fires inside the building. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Nashville, Tenn., May 30 – A crowd outside Historic Metro Nashville Courthouse looks at fires inside the building. (Photo: John Partipilo)

: Nashville, Tenn., May 30 – Nashville Mayor John Cooper at the “I Will Breathe” demonstration at Legislative Plaza. (Photo: John Partipilo)

: Nashville, Tenn., May 30 – Protestors face off against Metro Nashville police in riot gear near the Historic Nashville Courthouse. (Photo: John Partipilo)

: Nashville, Tenn., May 30 – Protestors throw objects at Historic Metro Courthouse windows. (Photo: John Partipilo)

: Nashville, Tenn., May 30 – Photojournalist John Partipilo captures the moment an object breaks a window at the Historic Metro Nashville Courthouse. (Photo: John Partipilo)

: Nashville, Tenn., May 30 – A protestor sets fire to Historic Metro Nashville Courthouse while bystanders ignore him. (Photo: John Partipilo)

: Nashville, Tenn., May 30 – A crowd outside Historic Metro Nashville Courthouse looks at fires inside the building. (Photo: John Partipilo)

: Nashville, Tenn., May 30 – Protestors in the streets of downtown Nashville. (Photo: John Partipilo)

: Nashville, Tenn., May 30 – An earlier peaceful demonstration devolved into a riot with protestors pouring into downtown Nashville streets. (Photo: John Partipilo)

: Nashville, Tenn., May 30 – The American flag on fire. (Photo: John Partipilo)

: Nashville, Tenn. – Metro Nashville Police deploy tear gas outside Historic Metro Nashville Courthouse to disperse the crowd. (Photo: John Partipilo)

: Nashville, Tenn., May 30 – A man rinses his eyes after tear gas was released by Metro Nashville Police. (Photo: John Partipilo)

: Nashville, Tenn., May 30 – A group of women walk away from the Nashville courthouse after being in a crowd of protestors on whom tear gas was used. (Photo: John Partipilo)

: Nashville, Tenn., May 30 – A woman clutches her face in the aftermath of riots in downtown Nashville Saturday. (Photo: John Partipilo)

: Nashville, Tenn., May 30 – Protestors hug in Nashville Public Square. (Photo: John Partipilo)

An afternoon of peaceful protests organized by social justice groups to protest the killing on Minneapolis man George Floyd by police devolved into a night of riots in Nashville. Historic Metro Nashville Courthouse was defaced and set on fire and downtown tourist district businesses being broken into and robbed.

Award-winning and two time Pulitzer Prize nominated photojournalist John Partipilo was in downtown Nashville shooting pictures for the Tennessee Lookout.

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J. Holly McCall

Holly McCall has been a fixture in Tennessee media and politics for decades. She covered city hall for papers in Columbus, Ohio and Joplin, Missouri before returning to Tennessee with the Nashville Business Journal. Holly brings a deep wealth of knowledge about Tennessee’s political processes and players and likes nothing better than getting into the weeds of how political deals are made.