Governor Calls for Further Investigation into Nashville Unrest
Nashville, TN – Following incidents of violence in downtown Nashville, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has announced that the Tennessee National Guard will remain mobilized across the state and that the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, in coordination with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and local law enforcement authorities, will launch an investigation into unlawful incidents that occurred overnight.
“The right to peaceful protest is foundational to our country, but the violence and vandalism that occurred in Nashville last night was unlawful and tears at the fabric of our community,” said Governor Lee. “We have reason to believe that many of those involved in unlawful acts are not Tennesseans and we will be working with law enforcement to investigate this further and bring those responsible to justice.”
National Guard personnel are now mobilized across all three Grand Divisions to assist state and local law enforcement. The Tennessee National Guard stands ready, in partnership with local law enforcement, the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, and TEMA, to ensure order and safety are maintained in the supported areas for as long as is warranted by the situation.
In addition to support from the Guard, Governor Lee has authorized the continuation of a curfew in Nashville and will support similar measures in other Tennessee cities as requested.
Curfew in the downtown Nashville area and Urban Services District of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County will be effective at 8:00pm CT on May 31st, 2020, and will continue until 6:00am CT on June 1st, 2020.
The curfew will not apply to law enforcement and fire department personnel, first responders, and other officials assisting with maintaining public safety, including medical personnel in the performance of their duties, and any other persons lawfully on the streets and in public places with permission from law enforcement personnel.
