Protesters brave rain to support social justice
Even in heavy rain, protests in Milwaukee continued Wednesday.
For the second straight day, showers and heavy rain dampened Black Lives Matter protests and other outdoor gatherings sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minnesota.
Some marches turned into caravans as protesters stayed dry in vehicles.
Many simply donned raincoats and ponchos and unfurled umbrellas. Like Jeremiah Thomas, who helped organize a march that left Humboldt Park Wednesday afternoon.
Thomas, 24, wore a blue rain poncho but no shoes to honor his ancestors.
“I’m a direct descendant of slaves. The reason why I decided to do it without no shoes is because they fled the plantation without shoes and they had to march through the Underground Railroad without shoes in their escape to freedom,” Thomas said at Humboldt Park, where around 50 people gathered.
“No matter how bad it feels, no matter how much pain I’ll be in, I just decided to do it to honor them. And if they can get through it, we can get through it, too,” said Thomas.
Among the group that met at Humboldt Park and marched to the District 2 Police Station on Milwaukee’s south side were Anna Rardin, 24, and Samer Ghani, 27, both of Milwaukee.
As they stood underneath a large umbrella in a steady downpour, Rardin explained this was their eighth day of marching and protesting.
“A lot of people skipped today and we felt that the more bodies out here in the rain today, the better,” said Rardin.
Added Ghani: We’re “trying to do our best to support racial injustice and try to tackle it with everyone here as part of the community.”
At Washington Park, a caravan headed into a Wauwatosa neighborhood near North 70th and Blanchard streets, drivers honking their car horns loudly, and some passengers rolled down windows to hold their fists in the air.
Passing homes in Wauwatosa, the cars gained attention. Some residents came out of their homes to show support. They stood in the rain, fists in the air. Some held signs with the words “black lives matter.”
At one point, cars backed up to one lane because of flooding on I-175 southbound at State Street. The caravan paused on an overpass near State Fair Park. Holding signs against a fence still damp with rain, protesters waved at drivers passing below, garnering supportive honks.
Also Wednesday, Anytime Fitness in
Wauwatosa was sharply criticized after a photo of an “I can’t breathe” workout was shared on social media. Those are the words Floyd repeated as a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck, killing him.
The workout, which was posted on a dry-erase board at the gym, says “I can’t breathe,” and then “... don’t you dare lay down.” It included a drawing of a person, drawn with black marker, in a kneeling position.
Several photos of the workout guide, which has since been removed at the gym, were shared on social media, prompting corporate management to release a statement.
“As leaders of Self Esteem Brands and the Anytime Fitness Brand, we were shocked and devastated to see that one of our franchise locations chose to offer an ‘I Can’t Breathe’ workout,” the statement said.