Protest against police violence set for Friday in Annapolis Email print Comments 22 251 By Tim Pratt tpratt@capgaznews 4:59 p.m. EST, December 11, 2014 Annapolis area clergy who organized Fridays planned march to protest police violence have issued a call for a peaceful show of solidarity with the nationwide response to the deaths of unarmed citizens at the hands of police. The protest is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial at City Dock. Demonstrators will march up Main Street to Church Circle and head east, ending at Lawyers Mall in front of the State House. Related Poll: Do you think peaceful protesters should have the right to block streets? At least one protest is scheduled for Annapolis Friday and police have warned of possible traffic disruptions. Do you think peaceful protesters should have the right to block streets? Yes No Depends on the circumstances Police violence protest Police violence protest Full text of Annapolis Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance press release about protest Full text of Annapolis Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance press release about protest Topics Minority Groups Demonstration Maryland State Police It is important to us as pastors in the city of Annapolis and within Anne Arundel County, and as citizens of this country, that African Americans are treated like true citizens by law enforcement and the judicial system, The Rev. Stephen Tillett, president of the Annapolis Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance. So we are marching in unity as a part of a national dialog to remind America that Black Lives Matter, Tillet said in a written statement Thursday afternoon. Area police and city officials are preparing for the march. We are aware of the march and officials are attending organizational meetings to ensure a safe event for all involved, Mayor Mike Pantelides said. I respect their First Amendment rights and we support their right to protest under safe and secure conditions. No one has applied for a permit, said a city official. City officials believe no permit is necessary as the activities anticipated are protected by the First Amendment, said City of Annapolis spokeswoman Rhonda Wardlaw. March organizers have called on all denominations in the city and county to join them to walk, kneel and pray together to signify the clergys call for non-violent direct action. They expect to lead a peaceful, non-violent march from the Alex Haley/Kunta Kinte statue at City Dock, up Main Street to Church Circle for a kneel-in and prayer. From there the group intends to stop by the statue of former Supreme Court Justice Roger B. Taney who wrote in the infamous Dred Scott decision that blacks had no rights which the white man was bound to respect... on the way to Lawyers Mall for a rally in the shadow of a statue of Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American appointed to the court. In an email to city officials Wednesday, Annapolis Police Department Chief Michael Pristoop said police have information that another group may be planning to commit acts of civil disobedience in other parts of the city. Those acts include possible disruption of traffic around the city in the hours before the rally and march. The Forest Drive and Aris T. Allen Boulevard area have been reported to be a possible site for traffic disruption. Police sent a notice to the Ward One Residents Association and Annapolis Business Association, warning of possible traffic delays and other disruptions. Shifts have been changed within the Annapolis Police Department to have additional personnel on duty, Pristoop said. Officers were provided with training, Pristoop said. Equipment has been readied for transportation and deployment. Duke of Gloucester Street resident Margaret Rose Evans said she has sent emails to rally organizers, police and the mayor, suggesting the event be held during the day, not after dark. I agree that folks need to express their concerns, she wrote. I feel those concerns will be best heard when the amount of people can be clearly seen in the daylight and the signs with messages can be read. In addition, I feel the chance of violence is less when police can see clearly. City police have reached out to the Office of Emergency Management, Anne Arundel County Police Department, Maryland State Police, Maryland Capitol Police and Anne Arundel County Sheriffs Office, Pristoop told city officials. County and state police have committed resources, he said. Our goal is to uphold the Constitution and allow voices to be heard and peaceful assemblies to take place in the safest manner possible, county police spokesman Lt. T.J. Smith said. We remind demonstrators to also respect the constitutional rights of other citizens and their freedom of movement. The Office of Emergency Management is coordinating city resources to include message boards, parking enforcement officers and buses. The Office also has reached out to the State Highway Administration for access to overhead signs on Interstate 97 if needed, Pristoop said. A flier for the protest contains images of Eric Garner, killed by police in New York in July; Michael Brown, killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri, in August; and Akai Gurley, killed by police in New York in November. Their deaths have sparked protests throughout the country. Protesters are expected to board buses Saturday morning to join a national protest at Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C. A City Council work session, scheduled for Friday, has been postponed. Staff writer E.B. Furgurson III contributed to this story. - See more at: capitalgazette/news/for_the_record/cg-protest-against-police-violence-set-for-friday-in-downtown-annapolis-20141211,0,3533424.story#sthash.UoAWl2KZ.dpuf
Posted on: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 22:07:03 +0000
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