BRADENTON – Inspired by the recent death of George Floyd and the actions of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, a peaceful but impassioned protest occurred in downtown Bradenton Sunday afternoon.
Unlike what took place in other American cities last week, no physical confrontations between protestors and police ensued.
The protesters assembled in the Village of the Arts at 1 p.m. near the corner of 12th Street West and 12th Avenue.
Holding a “Black Lives Matter” sign before the march began, Palmetto resident Betty Sailes Rhodes discussed the social and judicial inequities blacks and other minorities encounter.
“The system has got to change. Get your butt out and vote in November,” she said before the march to the Manatee County Historic Courthouse began.
Accompanied by approximately 75 protestors, Rhodes, former Bradenton mayoral and city commission candidate Eleutario “Junior” Salazar, Pastor Arthur Huggins, Deedra Zee and Natasha Clemons served as the protest leaders and spokespeople.
Speaking through a bullhorn while perched on the Historic Courthouse steps, Salazar questioned whether black lives and the lives of other minorities really matter to local law enforcement officers and politicians.
“You’re not here to protect me,” Salazar said to the dozen or so officers who accompanied the protestors and ensured their safety by stopping and redirecting traffic as they marched down busy city streets. Some officers traveled on foot, walking among, alongside or behind the protestors. Others rode in the police vehicles that assisted with traffic control.
Despite the harsh words and criticisms directed their way, the officers from the Bradenton Police Department never clashed with protestors or responded to the statements and chants they heard.
Before handing the bullhorn to Clemons, Salazar noted she lost her son in an incident involving local law enforcement officers.
Clemons said her son, Rodney Mitchell, was “killed execution style” seven years ago, six months after he graduated from college. She said the two officers involved in that incident later received pay increases and promotions.
“I’ve been peaceful and silent long enough,” Clemons said.
Zee and others called out another Bradenton police officer with an alleged history of mistreating minorities.
Zee said the community needs officers that won’t accept wrongful behavior by other officers.
“When you see that your fellow officers are abusing us, you stay silent. You made a choice to be a cop. I was born black. I don’t have any choice. Just because my skin is black doesn’t mean I’m a threat,” Zee said.
One protester said any officer that condones what happened to George Floyd needs to take off their uniform, turn in their badge and never serve again.
Huggins said the protest was not just “a black thing,” nor was it just about George Floyd. He said it was also about local black men who’ve died at the hands of law enforcement officers – including Justin Stackhouse, who was shot and killed by a Manatee County Sheriff’s Deputy near the Wal-Mart on Cortez Road in February.
“We’re here because we’re sick and tired. Enough is enough. Take your knee off our necks,” Huggins said.
Huggins led a prayer while protestors knelt for nine minutes in tribute to the length of time Chauvin held his knee on Floyd’s neck.
The crowd then marched down Old Main Street to the Bradenton Police station where Salazar issued some unmet demands. Others spoke as well.
Salazar demanded Bradenton Police Chief Melanie Bevan and Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston address the crowd and he noted no local politicians attended the protest.
Salazar demanded a fully transparent police oversight committee to review complaints filed against officers.
Before the march resumed, Salazar, a man dressed as the Black Panther superhero character and others approached and peacefully confronted the officers who stood quietly on the other side of the hedges.
The officers then accompanied the protestors to the intersection of Ninth Street West and Third Avenue West, where the protestors blocked the intersection near the foot of the bridge before taking a knee for a few minutes and moving on.
Shortly after 4 p.m., the march proceeded south to Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue West. After a brief pause, the protestors headed east on the street bearing the name of the late civil rights leader.
