Kentucky Derby Day In Louisville Sees Street Protests, Extra Security At Churchill Downs Racetrack

UPDATE: In an upset, 8-1 shot Authentic won the Kentucky Derby, holding off the charge of favorite Tiz the Law down the stretch and clocking in for the victory at 2.61.

EARLIER: There are no fans allowed at today’s running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky. But there’s plenty of people in the streets.

The 2020 Derby, the 146th Run for the Roses, goes off today with a post-time of 7 PM/4 PM PT. The race has been rescheduled from its original date of Saturday, May 2 by the pandemic. NBC-TV Sports will cover Derby Day, which is also streaming on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

Hundreds of armed militia members marched through Louisville’s downtown today, confronting Black Lives Matter supporters who have been demonstrating for 101 straight days. The protests have centered around the March 13 death of Breonna Taylor, who was killed during a botched no-knock raid on her home.

Members of the BLM counter-protesters had long guns, with some waving American flags or Trump flags. They shouted at the BLM protesters, but so far, nothing more than that has occurred. No police were present during the confrontation, according to local radio station WFPL, though some were stationed on rooftops and on nearby streets.

According to the Louisville Courier-Journal. the counter-protesters were spurred to action by an online personality known as “The Angry Viking.” Dylan Stevens, the man behind the blog, said that he doesn’t oppose the Breonna Taylor protesters.

Stevens claimed his supporters were opposing another group, called NFAC, for “Not F–king Around Coalition,” which has previously appeared in Louisville to protest the Breonna Taylor slaying.

Churchill Downs has taken extra safety precautions after reports indicated protests might disrupt the race. Police and National Guard were already guarding the track.

Tiz the Law is favored in the Kentucky Derby. The three-year-old colt won the 2020 Belmont Stakes in June, and now seeks the second leg of racing’s Triple Crown.

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