Man faces charge after allegedly confronting protesters in downtown Whitefish

A man who allegedly became confrontational with protesters downtown Wednesday night has been charged with disorderly conduct.

Jay Snowden, 51, of Whitefish was charged with one count of disorderly conduct, according to a release from the Whitefish Police Department.

Demonstrators have been gathering each evening since Monday in downtown to protest the death of George Floyd and show support for the Black Lives Matter movement. About 50 people and sometimes up to 100 have gathered in front of City Hall and at Second Street and Spokane Avenue holding up signs and chanting.

Whitefish Police say the group has been “peacefully protesting,” but an officer intervened on Wednesday removing Snowden when he allegedly became confrontational with those who had gathered.

Whitefish Police Thursday morning consulted with the city prosecutor and Snowden was subsequently charged.

“The City of Whitefish is dedicated to protecting the First Amendment rights of individuals to peacefully protest and ask all who are involved to respect each other’s rights and protest peacefully,” Whitefish Police said in a release.

Snowden has an initial court date of June 17.