RARIFIED BONNAIRE: Fauquier High goalie to play at West Virginia University. Page 7
June 3, 2020 | Vol. 19, No. 23 | www.princewilliamtimes.com | 50¢ Covering Prince William County and surrounding communities, including Gainesville, Haymarket, Dumfries, Occoquan, Quantico and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.
See PrinceWilliamTimes.com for coronavirus updates
AS COUNTY OPENS, PROTESTERS MARCH
Potomac Mills reopens to wary shoppers
Thousands demonstrate against police brutality By Daniel Berti
By Jill Palermo
Times Staff Writer
Times Staff Writer
After closing for more than 70 days due to COVID-19, Potomac Mills finally reopened over the weekend as Northern Virginia emerged from phase 0 to phase 1, allowing more “non-essential” retail stores to resume business. But many of the mall’s popular stores remained shuttered Saturday afternoon, and only a trickle of shoppers ventured out. Some said they came for the bargains. Others said they were ready to get out of the house and experience a little bit of normalcy after 10 long weeks with access to only grocery and big box stores. Antoine Thompson and his girlfriend Tracey McGee said they drove all the way from Prince George’s County, Maryland, because their local malls were still closed. After working from home for weeks, they said they were ready for a road trip. “For one, we thought it would be some good exercise in reasonable environment and we thought we’d get some good deals, too,” Thompson said, holding up a white shopping bag with a new pair of running shoes. Both wore face coverings in compliance with Gov. Ralph Northam’s executive order mandating them in public places and said they were glad to see other shoppers doing the same. Walkways were sparse, and people seemed to keep their distance by following stickers on the floor that directed foot traffic one direction or the other. New signs encouraged social distancing and listed “healthy shopper guidelines” that include: “If a store is busy, please come back later.”
Protests in Prince William County and Manassas erupted over the weekend as area residents took to the streets to protest police brutality in response to the death of African American Minneapolis resident George Floyd. Floyd died Monday, May 25, after a police officer pinned Floyd’s neck to the ground with his knee until Floyd became unresponsive. The police officer involved has since been fired and charged with third-degree murder. At least five protests took place in Prince William County and Manassas between Friday and Monday. Some were peaceful while others ended with violence and disruption from both protesters and police. The protests began Friday with a peaceful rally at Potomac Mills mall, where a small group held signs along the roadway. On Saturday, a group of about 250 people held a protest on Sudley Road in Manassas that began peacefully but escalated throughout the evening. Protesters blocked the roadway at around 7:30 p.m., prompting officers to declare an “unlawful assembly” and order that everyone leave the area. During the five hours of civil unrest that followed, six police officers were injured and protesters damaged several vehicles and nearby businesses, including AT&T, Café Rio and Taco Bell. Six law enforcement agencies were called to the scene in addition to Prince William County police, including the Virginia State Police, the Prince William Sheriff’s Office, Manassas City police, Fairfax County police, and the Haymarket police.
See REOPENING, page 2
PHOTOS BY DELIA ENGSTROM/JILL PALERMO
As malls, restaurants reopen, protesters take to the streets: Prince William County’s long-awaited transition to phase 1 on Friday, May 29, coincided with the start of a weekend of demonstrations against the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Top: Protesters marched through the streets of Old Town Manassas in a peaceful demonstration Monday afternoon. Left: Tracey McGee and Antoine Thompson were among a thin turnout of shoppers at Potomac Mills Saturday. Below: Diners enjoy outdoor dining at Bar Louie at Stonebridge in Woodbridge, where patio service reopened Friday.
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INSIDE Classified............................................11 Obituaries.............................................9
See PROTESTS, page 2
Opinion.................................................5 Real Estate............................................8 Sports...................................................7
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