THE FIRST PRIDE WAS A PROTEST: DENVER’S PART IN THE LARGEST CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN HUMAN HISTORY

The First Pride was a Protest

Denver’s Part in the Largest Civil Rights Movement in Human History

by Ray Manzari Photo by Veronica L. Holyfield

The Protesters

My first day attending Denver’s Black Lives Matter protest was Sunday May 31, eight days after the death of George Floyd. The tension in the air was palpable, a small group of people gathered around the Denver Police Department to sling insults and demand answers. An armored vehicle with a dozen MPs hanging off the sides and back made its way up Broadway toward the statehouse. But, as I crossed the lawn and got into the sight line of Denver’s Civic Center, I was taken aback by the sheer size of the crowd. While there is no official report of how many people showed up over that weekend, the estimates are in the thousands. “I do everything I can to be a good ally, but at a certain point, just posting on social media and throwing money at a problem isn’t enough. Even right now, it’s such a privilege to be speaking with you like this because Black people are fearful of what will happen if they do show up and speak out” says 17-year-old protestor Sophia. That fear was not unjustified; Denver Police Department used tear gas and pepper bullets to disperse crowds just minutes after the curfew over the weekend. Meanwhile, (former) Denver Police Officer Thomas McClay posted a picture of himself and two other officers on Instagram, captioning it, “Let’s start a riot.” As the week wore on, the tension slowly loosened. On Monday, Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen marched with protesters, and Monday evening, DPD (Denver Police Department) announced that they would not be enforcing the 9 p.m. curfew. By Friday, June 5, DPD had dissolved the curfew all together. But, speakers continued to bring passionate and moving discussions to the table. One fired-up speaker suggests that police departments need to be flooded with Black, Brown, and transgender cops. She also serves the large crowd with a history lesson on the Tulsa, OK riots and the looting and pillaging of Native American land. “When you talk to me about looting, when you talk to me about fires, when you talk to me about death, you better talk to me about Black Wall Street. Over 35 blocks were burned down, 21 banks, 6,000 homeless people after that incident; over 300 lives were massacred. Nobody wants to take accountability. Don’t talk to me about looting unless you want to talk to me about my ancestors.”

The Petitions

For those who can’t attend protests, a large and ever-growing number of online petitions in support of Black Lives Matter are circulating. 1. HANDS UP ACT

The Hands Up Act is a proposed piece of legislation that suggests officers receive a mandatory, 15-year prison sentence for the killing of unarmed men and women. 2. #WEAREDONEDYING

The NAACP launched the petition in honor of George Floyd with the sole purpose of eliminating senseless hate crimes.

3. #DEFUNDTHEPOLICE

Join the Black Lives Matter movement, which aims to defund law enforcement and redirect funds to invest in Black communities.

4. NATIONAL ACTION AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY

Another petition directed toward law enforcement reform— but this time, it specifically encourages officials to hold the police accountable. 5. STAND WITH BREONNA

This one’s dedicated to Breonna Taylor, who was murdered in her bed when police wrongfully entered her Kentucky apartment. You can sign the online petition, or text “ENOUGH” to 55156.

Though these petitions directly support the Black Lives Matter movement as well as police accountability, some protesters felt there were petitions circulating that took away from the larger purpose. “When I arrived here today, there were people walking around with papers for us to sign to help pass legislation to prevent them raising taxes, which they will try to do, because of all the damage that’s been done. My point is this, I don’t care about that. How dare you come to this protest for that? I’m here because I’m tired of people who look like me being targets,” says Denise, another Denver protestor.

The Progress

Several days of peaceful protests went on without a hitch, and Thursday, I returned to the statehouse to find the same organizers who had been running things all week, including Quincy “Q” Shannon, at the forefront. The anger and hurt that had been expressed over the weekend had turned to discussion of reform and policy. The word on everyone’s lips was “legislation.” Earlier in the week, Colorado officials announced a bill to increase police accountability. It appoints the state attorney general as an independent investigator of all instances where law enforcement’s use of force results in death or serious bodily injury. The bill also removes the shield of immunity for prosecution from law enforcement found to have acted unlawfully, allowing peace officers to be sued in their individual capacity. The bill will additionally require all law enforcement to use body cameras and to collect and report data on the individuals that are stopped and searched.

Among speakers on Thursday was none other than Colorado School Board Member Tay Anderson, who earlier in the week had announced via Tweet that he would not be in attendance at Denver protests for a few days on account of trending Google searches involving his name and acts of violence. However, Anderson was there Thursday and told protesters of Denver Public School’s plan to enact change. “These students are not only our future; they are our now. Tomorrow, [Friday, June 5] I will be bringing forth a resolution to kick Denver Police out of public schools. Our schools will no longer be ground zero for the school-to-prison pipeline. In the coming school years, we will make it so that every student has to take a Black history course; they will have to take an Indigenous studies course, and we will teach them about Latinx history in Denver Public Schools,” Anderson tells the crowd.

Children and the future were the main focus of Thursday’s protest, as organizers invited up anyone under the age of 18 to speak to the crowd. “Black lives totally matter,” 8-year-old Mac proclaimed quite simply. “And that’s just a true statement.” “Someone asked me earlier, why am I here? I’m here because I’m confused. I’m confused about what America has been doing the last hundred years,” a high school student tells protesters. “My great-grandma was a freedom rider; she marched with Martin Luther King, and there is no reason in Hell that we should be doing this in 2020. This is the year that this should end.”

“If my 70-pound self can stand toe-to-toe with an officer in full riot gear until tears roll down his cheeks, so can you. The reason I’ve been up on this stage as much as I can is to tell all the white people who are sitting at home nervous to come out here, don’t be. The longer we stand side-by-side with this Black community, the louder their voices become,” says another young speaker. There have been protests in all 50 states as well as several other countries across the globe, making this group of civil rights protests the largest in human history. Follow Black Lives 5280 for updates on how you can get involved.

It’s our differences that make us great.

Susan Boynton, Agent 9200 W Cross Dr Ste 122 Littleton, CO 80123 Bus: 303-948-2905 susan.boynton.lcfc@statefarm.com No matter what you value, I’m here to help protect it with respect and professionalism. Here to help life go right.® CALL ME TODAY.