Casper police say they have been made aware of a plan for people to gather downtown this week in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and are encouraging businesses to consider temporarily closing out of an "abundance of caution."

"We have been made aware of a plan for individuals to gather this Wednesday, June 3, 2020 in response to George Floyd's death. From what we know right now, the gathering is scheduled to begin around noon downtown and ultimately end at Casper City Hall," the Casper Police Department said in a news release Monday. "As a law enforcement community, we welcome the opportunity to support citizens' rights to gather and peacefully protest.

"However, we are also aware of the potential for these gatherings to turn violent."

The police department encourages those who are not participating to avoid downtown Casper on Wednesday afternoon. In what officials are calling an abundance of caution, the police department is encouraging downtown businesses to consider temporarily closing and take precautions to secure those businesses.

"We believe in the people of Casper to peacefully and lawfully gather to express their opinions," the release said. "We are proud to support those wishing to speak out against the heartbreaking death of George Floyd.

"We will not; however, tolerate violence and destruction to our community in any situation."

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