Police confirm BOTH sides in Kentucky restaurant standoff with BLM protesters had firearms

One of these had a strong chance of turning ugly after a gun was drawn by a restaurant-goer towards a crowd of BLM activists that showed up.

It was late last month that Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the Department of Justice would be investigating the Louisville Police Department over the death of Breonna Taylor. This news in turn apparently reignited the street-side response of local activists.

Taking advantage of the annual Kentucky Derby horse race occasion, “around 20” Black Lives Matter protesters held a demonstration outside Churchill Downs centered around reminding people about the case of Breonna Taylor.

As the day turned into evening, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal, fifty more joined up with the group and turned it into a march. The usual rhetoric of defunding the police adorning their signage.

The moment where police embarked on a foot chase to arrest protesters wasn’t the highlight of the night. Instead, after marching into the city of Bardstown, the protesters reached La Chasse restaurant. It was here that a diner pulled out a gun and pointed it at the activists.

The chaotic scene that ensued was a mix of some people trying to make sure tensions didn’t boil over, while some of the activists in the group tried continuing their chants.

A member of restaurant staff told police dispatchers "that multiple armed protesters entered the restaurant property, which included outdoor dining space."

A recent report from Fox News dives deeper into this situation that unfolded last Saturday night.

Louisville Metro Police spokeswoman Alicia Smiley told the outlet:

"During the encounter both patrons and protesters brandished firearms. This incident occurred after the arrests of southbound protesters in the area on the 1500 block of Bardstown Road. The arrests of that group were made after protesters repeatedly blocked the roadway despite officers giving multiple verbal requests for them to utilize the sidewalk."

There were reportedly five arrests. All of them pertained to protesters failing to follow police instruction and/or bringing “alarm to several businesses.” At least one of the arrests was on the grounds of “possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.”

Louisville Metro Police Department livestreamed their protest response on Facebook.