Peaceful protesters march to Sanford police headquarters to support black lives
Fosters Daily Democrat
SANFORD, Maine – Hundreds of marchers carrying signs and chanting "Black Lives Matter" veered off Main Street late Saturday afternoon to approach the Police Department headquarters, where a line of about two dozen officers armed with shields and weapons stood silently to greet them.
The protesters came to a halt mere feet from the officers but continued chanting and calling for an end to racism and police bPrutality, in honor of George Floyd, the black man killed May 25 when Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt for 8 minutes and 46 seconds on his neck while other officers stood by.
At one point, the protesters dropped face-down to the pavement and clasped their hands behind their backs, a position they held for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, all the while shouting, "I can't breathe," which Floyd had repeatedly gasped to Chauvin before he died.
The demonstration was the final part of "Gathering in Support of Black Lives," an event held by a local group, Project CommUnity, in Sanford, in step with other protests that have been held throughout the country in the weeks since Floyd's death.
Kael Parker, a member of the group, said the event's mission was to "mourn and pay respect to George Floyd and to grieve with Minneapolis and others across the country that are impacted by racism."
"We are gathering in solidarity with the black community in Sanford and everywhere," Parker said a few days before the event.
The demonstration started in the early afternoon at Gowen Park, with several local black men and women of all ages sharing their experiences with racism throughout the community, in such places as classrooms and courtrooms, in encounters with classmates, police officers, customers and others. One speaker, Shakir Shabazz, fought back tears after detailing his experiences with the police in a case against him that he said was ultimately thrown out.
"That really hurt me," he said. "That really hurt me, you know?"
A few in the crowd called out apologies to Shabazz. "We love you," someone from the crowd added.
Near the end of the event at Gowen Park, before the one-mile march down Main Street to the police station downtown, Josh Wood stood before the crowd of hundreds and called for 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence.
Everyone hushed. They each raised a single fist in the air. Some who occasionally called out "I can't breathe" were asked politely to observe the silence.
"Remember, this is how long it took for (Floyd) to be murdered by a racist cop," Wood said, halfway through the silence. "He still can't breathe."
When the moment passed, Wood asked everyone to imagine the pain Floyd had endured. He said he wanted the moment to be reflective of "what it's like to be killed because of the color of your skin."
"I want this to be a moment for our white allies to learn," Wood said. "This whole thing was perpetuated by the fact that he was darker than Derek, that cop who killed him. We can't allow this to stand any longer."
Citing rumors on social media that out-of-staters unaffiliated with the event organizers might use the occasion to come into Sanford and cause violence, the city announced Thursday it would impose a curfew Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. That drew criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine, which called on the city to rescind the curfew order.
The city then amended the curfew, shortening it to a single night: from 10 p.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Sunday.
City Manager Steven R. Buck cited unspecified "new information" as his reason for amending the curfew. The curfew is necessary, he said, because recent civil disturbances have been linked to similar protests in other communities.
"The city finds this regrettable to implement as the historical actions of the riotous and looting persons continue to detract from and diminish the important message of the many, detracted by the few," Buck said in a statement Friday.
As Saturday approached, Police Chief Thomas Connolly said his department was "preparing for the worst and hoping for the best," adding, "We're going to do everything we can to protect people and property."
Project CommUnity emphasized its event would be peaceful.
A few businesses on Main Street boarded up their windows Friday, as a safeguard against any possible vandalism. In recent days, the only act of vandalism appeared to be a few instances of spray-painted graffiti.
After the demonstration at the station, as the crowd dispersed and marched back onto Main Street, Connolly said he would have spoken to the protesters if invited.
"I wouldn't have taken a knee, but I would have knelt down and prayed with them," he said.
Connolly said the protesters "did a good job of getting their message across."
"I think everybody here, in one way or another, understands what they're saying," he said. "No human being wants to see another human being hurt or killed."