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Ryman Auditorium Window Smashed In Violent Nashville Riots

Peaceful protests turned violent in Nashville on Saturday (May 30) when looters took to the streets of Music City and…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

May 30, 2020

Photo Courtesy Ryman Hospitality Properties

Peaceful protests turned violent in Nashville on Saturday (May 30) when looters took to the streets of Music City and destroyed storefronts and set fire various buildings, including the Nashville courthouse.

As the protestors moved to Broadway, Twitter exploded with comments about Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium and questions about whether or not the iconic venue sustained damage.

Yihyun Jeong, a reporter for The Tennessean, cleared the air, revealing that the Ryman sustained minimal damage. According to Jeong’s post on Twitter, only one of the venue’s windows was smashed. Security on-site confirmed that was the only damage to the Ryman.

One window got smashed at the Ryman Auditorium. Security outside said no other damage. pic.twitter.com/16EnAaQYXn

— Yihyun Jeong (@yihyun_jeong) May 31, 2020

The violent acts forced Metro Nashville Mayor John Cooper to issue an emergency order and Metro Nashville Police issued a curfew for 10 pm local time. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee also authorized the National Guard to be deployed.

Earlier in the day, a peaceful protest took place in Nashville where thousands took to the streets to demand justice for the murder of George Floyd and to demand an end police brutality.

UPDATE:

A News Channel 5 report confirmed another window was damaged.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.