Weekend of protests
Lodi’s Black Lives Matter movement going strong
For the second Sunday in a row, Lodi residents turned out to support the Black Lives Matter movement and bring attention to the police killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Ky., and others.
More than a hundred demonstrators gathered in Emerson Park at 1 p.m. Sunday, preparing to march through Downtown Lodi. They cheered as cars honked in support, grabbed water from a table full of donations, and lifted their signs, as organizer Jaiden Ha reminded them to stay on the sidewalks and make safety their top priority.
“We want to make sure this is a peaceful, respectful protest,” said 17-yearold Ha, who just graduated from Tokay High School.
She urged the mostly masked protesters to make sure they kept room between themselves and other marchers to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Then, the marchers set out, making a circuit from Emerson Park east along Elm Street, south on School, then west on Pine Street back to the park.
As they marched, they chanted the names of Floyd and Taylor and “I can’t breathe,” which Floyd said while pleading with the Minneapolis police officer who restrained him by kneeling on his neck.
As they passed, some business owners passed out ice water.
Ha and her fellow organizers worked with the Lodi Police Department to ensure that the march would be follow local rules as they moved through Downtown Lodi, and officers moved with the march to ensure the protesters remained safe.
Back at Emerson Park, several of the young protesters stepped forward to talk about their own experiences in Lodi and elsewhere.
Itzel Gonzalez, 18, said it is important to talk to friends and family members about racism and equality, even when it’s hard.
“We need to start becoming more fearless,” she said.
She also shared that she worries about her younger brother, who is 14.
“I don’t want to be scared of my little brother going out and not returning,” she said.
Meshalyn Palmore, who is Black, also worries about her brother being the victim of a racist attack, she said.
“I worry that he’s going to be another hashtag,” she said.
Incidents like the killing of George Floyd have been happening for centuries, she said. It’s just that now they’re being recorded.
Samira Mason mourned Floyd’s death, but pointed out that it has sparked a nationwide movement and opened people’s eyes. While it is heartbreaking that protests and marches are needed, she said, it was also heartwarming to see so many marchers out at the park on Sunday in support of African Americans.
“Our lives matter,” she said.
The Rev. Nelson Rabell of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Lodi, and Hector Madrigal, who is running to represent Lodi District 5 in the city council, pointed out that Lodi is not immune from racism.
Madrigal recalled when a cross was burned on the lawn at Tokay High School in 1998.
Rabell urged the marchers to reach out to the Lodi City Council and local school districts to push for change.
As the marchers spoke, a few onlookers heckled the gathered crowd, including one driver who repeatedly passed the park and yelled racial slurs.
Sandra Vargas called on the protesters not to engage with the man. “When they go low,” she called.
“We go high!” the crowd screamed back.
She and other speakers urged the crowd, especially those recently turned 18, to register to vote and then to go out and do it.
“The ballot is as powerful as a bullet,” she said.
Marcelle Palmore also called on the crowd to continue working for change. He thanked them for making him feel safe, and asked them to do their research on proposals like changing how police departments are funded. He also encouraged them to keep marching and protesting.
Finally, the marchers began to disperse, as organizers reminded them to leave Emerson Park as clean as they had found it.
“The march was peaceful and well organized. Lodi Police Department is proud to serve such an empathetic and compassionate community,” the police department posted on Facebook.