Earthquake aftershocks

At the end of three months of protest, the situation in Marcus David Peters’ circle was unstable at times. Yet, despite police violence and racist threats, activists and community members continue to gather there.

Since the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police officers sparked continuous protests all over the streets of Richmond, the restored Robert E. Lee memorial, now known as Marcus David Peters Circle or MDPC, has become a gathering ground for both protesters and regulars. Citizens alike. Recently, activists have begun to warn that MDPC is no longer safe, but many Richmonders are not willing to stay away.

Over the past two months, protesters and the city have removed other statues commemorating the leaders of the Confederation, but Lee’s monument remains on its pedestal. Despite ongoing court cases that conflict with activists’ demands for their removal, citizens have created a people-oriented space in the district, with amenities such as a basketball hoop, a free library, catering tents, voter registration forms, and other services. What was once a symbol of oppression is now a colorful homage to Richmond’s renewed community.

Late on the night of July 30, someone shot a car that had entered the circle. Police seized an assault rifle and a large amount of ammunition following the shooting.

The next day, in the early morning hours, protesters were awakened from their sleep with violence and confronted with brutality by the Richmond Police Department, firing guns in their faces, tear gas and pepper spray. A protester was handcuffed and tortured. After this incident, though not just because of it, warning posts began to circulate on social media.

Photography by Landon Schroeder

Although the protesters acknowledge that this concern should be taken seriously, and that different people are handling safety concerns differently, one thing is clear and common to all who frequent the soon-to-be-removed monument: The constant threat is not new.

I understand that people protest differently. But wild emotions will kill us. Said Frank Hunt, who has been involved in the protest movement all along. “It’s intelligence over feelings. The moment you get angry, your opponent is victorious.”

The People’s Protection Police used tear gas, pepper balls, mace, and flash strikes on protesters on numerous occasions over the course of the protest movement. On June 26, Hunt was hit by a rubber bullet in the eye.

Frank Hunt. Photo by Keegham Hoffspian

Not only were participants in the protest experiencing physical threats and violence (from RPD and otherwise), but were also subjected to online harassment and the aftermath of what few would understand if they hadn’t experienced it themselves.

“They were watching my house. They say my name when I walk around. There is a couple.” [officers] Michael Smith said. “Racist comments. Racist messages. Phone calls. People have told me that they will kill me. Nobody should live like that. I had to run on the streets and barricade in a house with 40 people coughing and sneezing. We don’t run on our faces while crying. People are screaming.”

Smith gained notoriety for filming and posting videos of interactions between protesters and police. Specifically, he attracted attention due to a video he posted on Instagram, in which he first filmed police spraying pepper to a group of women walking down Broad St, then stirring pepper spray on him while filming him from an upstairs window.

By taking clear measures to stand by the movement and highlight violent police behavior, Smith, along with other organizers, protesters, and even anyone near what the RPD ruled an “illegal gathering”, became targets of those who opposed the movement. And the police.

“The police have yet to detain this person, who was subsequently dumped because I took a video,” Smith said. “My life is in danger because of that. He can search for me.”

Smith also posted a now widely circulated video of a woman screaming racist insults at the memorial. According to him, this is sad for any day spent at the memorial.

“White supremacists shout from their windows daily. There are daily quarrels.” I came across this lady on a videotape, but it happens every day. ”

Image via SassafrassBluff.Life, via Facebook

However, within the movement, people continue to organize, demonstrate and express the pain the community has suffered and the progress it will experience as it continues to progress.

Protesters continue to draft a list of demands from local police and the city government of Richmond, including the reopening of the case of Marcus David Peters (who was killed by police in 2018 while unarmed, naked and suffering from a mental health crisis), and halting police funding. , Charges against each protestor, removal of all Confederate traces within the city, establishment of an independent civilian review board, implementation of the Marcus Alert system to improve responses to mental health emergencies, and release of all RPD officers currently under investigation for the use of force.

For many of these protesters, regardless of the danger it may present, abandoning the movement and the city is not an option. They love their city and want to improve it, regardless of the cost.

“My heart stuck with him,” said Hunt of Richmond. “When this happened, it made me realize my goal.”

Written by Alexandra Zernick and Marilyn Drew Nikki. Top image by SassafrassBluff.Life, via Facebook

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