Photo credit: Ethan Duran
Protestors on Center St.
Hundreds of protestors demanding justice for George Floyd, a black man who was killed by a white former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, met a stiff police response when they entered an off ramp for Interstate 43 off Garfield Ave. on Friday, May 29. The protest started at the intersection of N. 27th St. and W. Center St. before heading east to the I-43, and then moved to the lawn of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court.
Floyd, 46, died in Minneapolis on Monday after Chauvin kneeled on his neck during his arrest. Fiery protests are raging on in Minneapolis, as well as other major cities like Atlanta, Denver and Houston. Chauvin was arrested by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension on Friday and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Following a Facebook event page, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Wisconsin Black Historical Society (2620 W. Center St.) with signs and masks at 1 p.m. Some held up home-made signs with the slogans “No justice, no peace,” and “Black Lives Matter.” From there they marched southeast, eventually reaching the north bound side of I-43 and walked down the exit. While marching on Center, motorists honked their horns and held up peace signs to show their support.
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A half-dozen vehicles from the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office blocked off the north bound side of the highway. As the protest continued down the highway, many people were arrested—some were cuffed, put in cars and relocated back to Garfield Ave. Others were taken directly to the Milwaukee County Jail, which the protest moved to after.
“We were walking down the side of the highway on the grass part,” said Sam Larson, who was cuffed and put in the back of a police car for a short time. “There were no cars there. We weren’t going back so they put us in the back of cop cars, we were there for like five minutes.” After being detained, Larson said they were dropped off on the intersection at Garfield Ave and let go.
“The black girl who they put in the back of the car, still in the police car, they haven’t let her go yet,” said Larson. “She did the exact same thing we did. But we were fine.”
Photo credit: Ethan Duran
Protestors on 27th St.
Panic Attacks
Fantasia Davis said she saw a woman have a panic attack and collapse on the road before being taken into police custody. “She had a panic attack and the police got even closer,” she said. “She had an even bigger one, she fell and [an officer] grabbed her and put her in cuffs. Instead of helping her, he put her in cuffs. Then he put three other girls in cuffs.”
To get away from the police, Davis said some protestors had to climb a hill and over a fence on North Halyard Street. “A lot of people were injured,” she said as she pointed out the twisted bits of metal coming from the top of the chain link fence.
Zahria Tucker, a college student, described the start of the rally. “It was nice to see people united together for the same cause. There were people alongside the streets holding up signs. Cars were driving past, honking and putting their fist up in the air for black power.” When she reached the freeway and the police were present, Tucker said she saw an officer with a “big gun” in his hand.
“You don’t know if you could be the next victim, so it was kind of scary to see him with the gun in his hand,” Tucker said.
Larson, Davis and Tucker headed towards the Milwaukee County Circuit Court (901 N. 9th St.) afterward to rejoin the rally. On the N. 10th Street entrance of the county courthouse, hundreds chanted “I can’t breathe.” Though unconfirmed, some reports said that some protestors entered the courthouse building.
Don’t Get Arrested
The crowd stayed around 500-strong as the rally moved from the north side to downtown and back. A woman in a car gave warning to some stragglers, “Don’t get arrested,” and let them know where the rest of the crowd was heading. Around five o’clock the protest returned to 27th and Center, the same time when a second rally started in the Jackson Park neighborhood for Joel Acevedo.
Acevedo, who was 25, died after a fight with off duty Milwaukee Police Department officer Michael Mattioli. Mattioli, 32, was charged with first-degree reckless homicide earlier this month.
Some attendants left to join the rally in Jackson Park, while others stayed and held signs up to passing traffic. Rallies in Milwaukee’s south side and east side continued into the night.
Floyd and Acevedo’s deaths are symbolic of years of police brutality against the black and brown community, which is what the attendees of these rallies want to end. On the highway overpass on Brown St., Davis made her plea against prejudice.
“Why can’t everybody be equal?” said Davis. “We all live on this same planet. There’s no reason for people to be shooting and putting your knee on someone because you don’t like the color of their skin.”
“It was nice to see a diverse crowd be able to get together,” Tucker said during her walk to the courthouse protest. “There was no violence on our part. I also pray that the police stop killing us.”
For more of our coverage of the protests occurring across Milwaukee, click here.
