Memphis protest ends before curfew Sunday
Ending at the I Am A Man Plaza, the frequent launch point for Memphis demonstrations against police violence, protesters wound through Downtown Sunday for a twelfth consecutive night.
“This is not an anti-police movement. This is a learn how to work together with police movement,” pastor and activist Devante Hill said during a break in the march.
Hill has led multiple marches in Memphis since the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officers.
“We want to go after those bad officers who abuse their power,” Hill said, instructing the crowd of more than 100 to wave and say thank you to officers stationed by City Hall.
‘They want us to bury a son and move on’
As they began to wind through the streets, the protesters chanted the name of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old black woman shot and killed in her home by Louisville police officers in March. They also chanted “No justice, no peace, no racist police!” before taking a break in the 94 degree heat to talk about disparities in health care.
In addition to the names of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, protesters chanted the name of Colby Clark.
Kristy Clark, his mother, marched with the group and shared that the family has not been able to experience closure since her son was shot on June 24 by a white couple.
Investigators said Colby Clark had been trying to rob the couple — a story she doubts.
“I have had no support from the police department, the homicide department, the DA’S office. They want us to bury a son and move on,” she said.
When she heard his name chanted, she “felt him here with us,” she said, and knew “everything that is done in the dark will come to the light.”
Memorial to honor George Floyd
The group marched on Beale Street, where one week prior police in riot gear arrested multiple demonstrators. Two incidents from earlier days of Memphis protests, both captured on video, are under review on Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s request.
On Sunday, as has been the case since the announcement of a curfew Monday, the police presence was subdued. During the march, Hill encouraged Black Lives Matter supporters to email Strickland about police training.
“How are we going to do this?” Hill shouted on the bullhorn. “Together,” the crowd responded, echoing the message of the 1000 Man Solidarity Walk that took place Sunday afternoon.
At another pause in the march, the group sang, “We ready for change,” before ending the march around 8:15.
Strickland announced the extension of curfew Sunday, but with a later time, commencing at 11 p.m.
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris also made an announcement Sunday, that the county would host a memorial for George Floyd on Monday, at 10 a.m. in Civic Plaza.
Hill’s group aims to reconvene Monday evening at 6:30 p.m. in the I Am A Man plaza.
Racism in policing and beyond
Before marching through the Beale Street Entertainment District and Main St., the crowd first gathered in a circle near historic Clayborn Temple to take photos with people who don’t look like them, as directed by Hill. The protesters then divided into groups to role play scenarios involving racism.
The diverse crowd included at least one veteran protester, whose sign read “I marched in 1968 still marching in 2020”.
“We’re going to attack policies and procedures in MPD,” Hill said of his focus over the next three weeks. MPD has 208 hours of firearm and lethal weapon training, he said, but only 14 hours of deescalation training.
Transitioning to education and the economy, Hill said, “Children in Frayser shouldn’t feel less than. Children in South Memphis shouldn’t feel less than,” comparing schools and resources in predominantly black Memphis neighborhoods to those available to students in the suburbs.
“Black-owned and minority businesses deserve the support of the city. Women-owned businesses deserve the support of the city,” he added.
The break-out groups talked about discrimination while shopping and interviewing for jobs, particularly for black women with natural hair styles; the effect of inequities on black students; and the undermining of black athletes and entertainers who speak out on race.
Organizers also encouraged people to register to vote and complete the U.S. Census, which designates federal funding to jurisdictions based on population.
1000 Man Solidarity Walk
Earlier Sunday afternoon, a different crowd of protesters took to the streets for a 1000 Man Solidarity Walk in the Audubon Park neighborhood of Memphis.
The crowd, largely clad in black, marched on Park Ave. after convening near the Memphis Botanic Garden.
“We all together. You know, the thing that we get that we are told all the time is ‘black on black crime,’ “said Tito Porter, who organized the walk, pointing out that there are multiple other forms of intra-racial violence.
“It’s all about being together. We don’t have to fear our neighbors ... We gotta keep moving. We’ve gotta keep pushing and that’s what we’re here for today,” Porter said as protesters around him chanted “Together”.
Meanwhile, in Cooper Young, a line of cars filled the parking lot of First Congregation Church. Drivers paused at a tent to drop off cases of water in a Black Lives Matter donation drive ending at 4 p.m.
A suburban Say Their Names March in Collierville’s Town Square Park was also held Sunday. Collierville police tweeted the protest ended peacefully after an hour and a half at 5:30 p.m.
Growing diversity of protest
The multiple locations reflect the growing diversity of protest actions and leadership in Memphis.
In recent nights, activists have branched out from Downtown, taking to Overton Park and shutting down Union Avenue in Midtown and East Parkway near the Liberty Bowl in Cooper Young.
The response by police has been restrained since aggressive arrests and tear gas used in Downtown demonstrations May 30-31.
But protesters were threatened by two motorists in Cooper Young who each drove through the crowd Friday night. One driver, Anthony Marcuzzo, struck four people, who all had minor injuries.
Police said they are still investigating the second incident, in which driver Beau Albauer did not strike any protesters after accelerating through the crowd. The department solicited help in identifying one of these victims he sped towards, in a Sunday evening Facebook post.