Gov. Kim Reynolds and community leaders speak on implementing systematic change while condemning the riots. 

“This past weekend, here on these steps and again throughout the East Village and deploying thousands of Iowans showed up to stand united and peaceful protest,” Reynolds said. “Their message was powerful. Their voices were heard. But the lawless acts of a few hijacked that message and endanger the lives of other ones. That’s been a pattern now that’s occurred over several days and it’s a pattern that must end.” 

In Des Moines, a rally began at 6 p.m. Friday and a riot followed shortly after and continued throughout the weekend. At the rally, the crowd stood together in solidarity with signs and fists in the air. After the rally ended, looting began and several businesses where smashed with rocks. 

Reynolds said she worked with leaders from the National Guard to define its role in the protests and riots. 

“Under my order, they stand ready to assist and support when and if that time occurs,” Reynolds said. 

Reynolds said she approved of the Polk County Board of Supervisors’ decision to implement a curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. 

A march was hosted by Mothers Against Violence in Des Moines and a protest in Ames was organized Saturday. Des Moines community activists organized a vigil and a protest took place around Merle Hay Mall on Sunday. 

“I also want to say to you that 95 percent of those individuals, as we support civic engagement, were peaceful,” said State Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad. “They had a voice that they wanted to say. We have less than 3 percent of individuals that had a different message and they hijacked the message that these young people had. Because their motive was to cause destruction and destroy and disturb.”

Abdul-Samad attended the candlelight vigil and then traveled to the Merle Hay protest to try to deescalate the situation and make a deal between the protestors and the police. Abdul-Samad spoke with the police to negotiate a way for the Merle Hay protesters to peacefully continue the protest.

Abdul-Samad said the protests bring an opportunity to bring systematic change and develop a process. 

“But these individuals who hijacked a message has to be served to them,” Abdul-Samad said. “We are all in this together and we’re not going to let you hijack our babies. We’re not letting you hijack our message. And that you need to take that out I will because I would have come together to stand together and make sure that you can’t hijack what we had. And there’s only about five to 10 of those individuals that did that object.”

Reynolds also addressed the individuals who got hurt amid the riots and said that was not the intent.

“The majority are peaceful protesters that have a powerful message and we’re trying to do everything we can to give them the opportunity to be heard,” Reynolds said. “But when you have distractors and individuals, a small number come in, they can really cause some chaos and incite horrific things happening as well.”