JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After turning down an invitation from City Councilman Garrett Dennis to participate in a march through Downtown Jacksonville on Sunday, Mayor Lenny Curry on Friday said he plans to participate in a community walk sometime next week.
“I will participate in a walk next week with our community,” Curry tweeted.
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Curry also said he plans to announce policy initiatives he will take to “address racial inequality.”
I will participate in a walk next week with our community. I will also announce policy initiatives and actions I will take to bring our city together and address racial inequality.
— Lenny Curry (@lennycurry) June 5, 2020
Dennis invited Curry and Sheriff Mike Williams to Sunday’s march which is expected to be a show of solidarity with those who have been speaking out against social injustice and police brutality following the death of George Floyd.
Both Williams and Curry said Thursday they would participate “in the near future” but added that Sunday isn’t the time.
Curry said he felt he would be a distraction for law enforcement and could put others in danger if he marched this weekend.
“There are times where I put law enforcement resources at risk because they have to focus on me if I’m there which isn’t responsible,” Curry said. “That’s a distraction to them doing their jobs and making sure the entire protest moves peacefully.”
Sunday’s walk will begin at City Hall at 11 a.m. and will wind through downtown to Fire Station No. 1 on Liberty Street.
It was not immediately clear when Curry planned to walk with the community or the policy issues he planned to announce.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette announced Friday that he plans to hold a peaceful protest walk in Jacksonville on Tuesday.