All Lives Matter North Georgia shows support for law enforcement
Community, News July 14, 2020
BLAIRSVILLE, Ga – Almost 200 people demonstrated their support in All Lives Matter North Georgia and listened to several speakers, including former officers, talk about their experiences.
The majority of the 150 to 200 people stayed in the shade.
All Lives Matter North Georgia was the brainchild of [Redacted} 25, who wanted to demonstrate her appreciation of public servants. The event took her and others around two weeks to organize, and they hope to have more in the future.
[Redacted] had a long-standing respect for law enforcement, but recently she went through a life experience, and the police were the ones who helped her through the situation. Now that she’s in a position to return the favor, she wanted them to know how much she and others in the community support them.
“It’s mainly about showing support for law enforcement, also first responders, and health care workers because right now all of them are risking their lives for the community. I think if anybody deserves a rally right now, it’s definitely them,” explained [redacted].
She chose All Lives Matter because she wanted to include everyone, even Black Lives Matter supporters. The rally in her eyes wasn’t for just one group, but anyone who wanted to participate.
“The last thing that our group would intend if for [BLM members] to feel left out. A lot of people have said, why don’t you change the name to Blue Lives Matter or something else more specific,” clarified [redacted]. “The reason I don’t do that is I don’t want to leave out Black Lives Matter. It’s very important they are included in our group. I wanted this group to be as inclusive as possible.”
Law enforcement on the scene of the rally.
The former officers described their experiences with minorities and life as part of the force. One individual identified as Jim policed a violent area for 20+ years. He recounted a powerful story of a young black boy. The child lived in a house with seven people and his grandmother, who the child claimed sold drugs. One day, the little boy begged Jim to let him go home with him, and eventually, Jim relented. Jim asked the boy’s grandmother if he could take the child home, and she agreed as long as he was back by Sunday afternoon.
On Sunday afternoon, no one was at the boy’s home, but later Jim’s superior paged him as asked if he had a little black boy with him. He confirmed that he did, and they were both told to drive over to the station. Once there, he discovered the grandmother had accused him of kidnapping her grandson.
Former officer Jim.
Jim received a verbal warning, and the child went home with his grandmother. Supervisors and an IA investigator asked him, “what were you thinking? You took a young black man into your house. You’re white. White people don’t take black people into their homes.”
He responded that he never “looked at him as color. I looked at him as a young man who was reaching out for someone to help him, and it just happened to be me.”
Around 20 years later, the boy found Jim at his new first responders’ business and told Joe that he saved his life. The boy spent seven years looking for Jim to tell him that he loved him and would never forget him.
“We all had the opportunity to come together when Mr. Floyd lost his life…Every single police officer and I’ve talked to many. I’ve got a lot of good friends up and down the East Coast. [They] said it was an atrocity. It should have never happened, and we all hope to God that officer is persecuted to the fullest extent,” said Jim.
Many of the attendees avoided the heat in the shade, but others stood along courthouse road, waving flags and holding signs in support of public servants. Several passersby honked their horns to cheer on and champion the event’s purpose.
“We just wanted to come out and recognize our first responders. There’s a way to protest peacefully and promote what you’re out for. We just came out to show hey we can be here, and we can be peaceful, and we can all agree, and we can all agree to disagree. That’s why they called it All Lives Matter,” said rally goer Aaron Taylor.
Rally-goers waved flags as cars drove past the event.
Other attendees expressed similar sentiments in asserting their right to peaceably assemble as well as support those who work to make everyone’s lives a little bit easier.
“I just wanted to support our first responders and our police because I appreciate that they put their lives on the line every day for us, and I know that it is a thankless job most of the time. I wanted to take time out of my day to show them that I appreciate that because when I’m in trouble, that’s who I am going to call. I appreciate them. I pray for them. I’m happy to be here.”
Black Lives Matter rally held in front of the courthouse
Community, Lifestyle June 15, 2020
Blairsville, Ga – Two groups exercised their right to peaceably assemble in front of the Union County Courthouse on Sunday, June 14.
Individuals with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement announced their intentions to gather last week between the hours of 6 to 8 p.m on June 14. The demonstrators felt compelled to voice their opinion about the disproportionate violence that occurs against black Americans at the hands of law enforcement.
The Blairsville Police Department (BPD) released a statement on Friday, June 12, and disclosed that the rally organizers were asked to ensure a peaceful assembly. The BPD didn’t expect any acts of violence but were ready to keep the community, residents, and businesses safe if needed.
Around 100+ protesters and 50 counter-protesters came out on a rainy Sunday to support BLM or “all lives matter.” Most of the crowd came from Blairsville or Murphy, N.C. Several of the Murphy Peaceful BLM Protest organizers were present along with Ninth District Congressional Candidate Devin Pandy (D) and Eighth District State Representative Candidate Dave Cooper (D).
“I would love to be able to stand and join our friends behind us by saying ‘all lives matter,’ but we cannot say ‘all lives matter’ until black lives matter,” said Pandy.
The rally began with a prayer given by St. Clare’s Episcopal Reverend Liz Schellingerhoudt. She implored the Lord to, “look with compassion on the whole human family, break down the walls that separate us and unite us in bonds in love. Work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on Earth that all nations and races may serve you in unity.”
Rev. Schellingerhoudt also prayed for local law enforcement and everyone participating in peaceful protests.
Many of the signs featured names of black Americans killed while in police custody.
Several came forward to speak about the importance of the BLM movement and one of the organizers read a prepared speech from Tray Taylor, who couldn’t attend.
“I live in fear that a traffic stop may take my life. I fear that one call from a person who feels I don’t belong in a certain area may end with unwanted persecution and harassment. I am not a tired black man. I am a man who is tired because it seems like for every step forward, we take 100 backward,” expressed Taylor. He also retold his first encounter with the police, the NYPD, who told him to line up on the streets because a white woman said a black man raped her.
However, since moving to Murphy, Taylor changed his view of law enforcement and now sees how they help, not hurt – use compassion instead of fear.
Blairsville BLM Organizer Samantha Frost read Tray Taylor’s speech since he couldn’t attend.
One of the Murphy Peaceful BLM Protest TeLor Allen spoke about her experience as a black American, beginning at age 11 when Trayvon Martin was shot and continuing until the present day.
“These peace protests, igniting across our country, are not solely about George Floyd,” declared Allen. “These men and women deserved the opportunity to live, but it was stripped away with little to no justice.”
Allen also spoke of her outrage against the people trying to derail the protests in local communities. “I will scream black lives matter at the top of my lungs if that’s what it takes,” she stated. “Black lives will forever and always matter, and if that’s an insult to you, that’s on you not on me.”
Maria-Elena Mariel Olcoz-Verdun, a Blairsville Peaceful BLM Protest organizer and member of the Pulse Community, also spoke by proxy, “Cops are expected to do everything from rowdy neighbors to mass shootings. It’s overwhelming, and if you add racism to that, you get horrific results. The Orlando Police Department posted online that 10,000 protesters showed up recently and there were zero arrests. This is a well-trained department that has a well-unified connection with its citizens. This is the example we should follow. The citizens are just as protective of the police as they are of them.”
Ninth District Congressional Candidate Devin Pandy (D) spoke about black lives and law enforcement.
Olcoz-Verdun went on to state that officers wouldn’t lose pay if funds were moved to different departments or programs. Law enforcement would be relieved of some of their additional responsibilities, according to her statement.
“Today is about illuminating the suppressed and giving this community a fruitful foundation on which we can all thrive. Racism needs to stop now. Humanize the victims. They are people,” proclaimed Olcoz-Verdun.
Shouts from counter-protesters could be heard while BLM members observed 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence – the length of time Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin stood on George Floyd’s neck. This act ultimately resulted in Floyd’s death according to the family autopsy.
The Blairsville Peaceful BLM Protest Group asked that everyone who participated to refrain from creating anti-police signs, bringing firearms or pets, and to not engage with counter-protesters.
A heavy police presence separated both groups and provided safety for everyone who came out to express their First Amendment Rights.
Everyone followed these guidelines for the most part, but once the speakers ended, several protesters faced their signs toward the separate group. Each side expressed their viewpoints, and eventually, some dialogue took place between Candidate Pandy and one counter-protester. Pandy seemed to want everyone to understand the importance of coming together – across political or spiritual divides.
Pandy conversing with a counter-protester.
BLM protesters also chanted “No Justice, No Peace” and “Black Lives Matter.” Some laid down on the wet pavement and put their hands behind their back as well.
In the protest procedures, it also stated, “We said BLM/ We never said only BLM/ We know that all lives matter/ We just need help showing BLM because black lives are in danger!”
FYN asked organizer Samantha Frost how the death of black Americans can end at the hands of law enforcement, she responded with retraining.
“I fully support our police here. During one of our meetings, we asked is a knee to the neck a normal thing. They said no that’s a red zone and that’s how they’re trained. So, I would just say retraining and maybe some mental health training also for their own benefit.”
Some protesters took to lying down as if under arrest in front of the counter-protesters.
The organizers also set up a voter registration station for people who wanted to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming elections.
On the other side of the caution tape, people expressed their belief that “all lives matter,” not just black lives.
“Every life matters, not just one – not just black lives matter. Every life matters,” reported counter-protester Liz while waving a Trump 2020 flag. “Our Jesus Christ died for every one of us, not just blacks, not just Mexicans, not just whites. Every life.”
“I feel like everybody’s life matters, not just black, white, pink, purple, brown. Every single person here life matters,” added another counter-protester Linda Meade. “The closer and closer I [saw] that it was coming to our town. I felt like we needed to be out here to support the people in our town because up here in Blairsville, we’re peaceful, loving community. Everybody waves at each other. Everybody’s friendly. We help each other out. We don’t need all this chaos coming up here. People bringing all this hate to our county. People come up here to relax and get away from such a hard life down there. We don’t need all this in our county.”
Counter-protesters gathered across the street from the courthouse.
BPD asked everyone to return to their cars by 7:45 p.m., so streets could be opened to through traffic. Everyone left without incident, marking another successful peaceful protest and counter-protest in North Georgia.
To view the entirety of the speeches, please view the video below.