Protests and demonstrations in Chatham didn’t end after monument’s removal

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The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement and the run-up to the 2020 presidential election ignited protests for and against racial justice across the globe — and Chatham County was no exception.

The leaders of Chatham’s three major law enforcement agencies — the Pittsboro Police Department, Siler City Police Department and Chatham County Sheriff’s Office — released statements in response to the death of Floyd in Minneapolis.

“We believe that when incidents like the one involving Mr. George Floyd of Minnesota occur, the law enforcement officer should be held accountable and subjected to the same due process of law as every other citizen of the United States,” said Clarence “Shorty” Johnson, Pittsboro’s then-interim police chief (who’s since been appointed to the position full time) in a statement posted to the department’s Facebook page. “If anything, we should be held to a higher standard. It is imperative that our community trusts us and each officer should be able to depend on one another to do what is right and just.”

Chatham Sheriff Mike Roberson responded similarly.

“We, at the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, are deeply troubled and saddened by the death of George Floyd and want to acknowledge that we do not condone the actions of police officers who act unlawfully,” Roberson’s statement said. “Everyone in America should have the ability to live in safety and no one should fear the ability to be treated justly under the law.”

Siler City Police Chief Mike Wagner also condemned the actions of the Minneapolis officers in a release.

“The untimely death of Mr. George Floyd of Minnesota is deeply disturbing to the Siler City Police Department and is of great concern to every citizen across this nation,” Wagner wrote. “The actions of the officers involved lacked the basic respect for human life, dignity and were without merit.”

Each of the local statements noted the value of community trust between local law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.

Across Chatham, multiple protests — mostly occurring on the weekend — were held partly in response to Floyd’s death at the hands of police offiers, a death which was captured on video.

In early June, a diverse crowd of around 50 youth and adults stood in the center circle of Pittsboro holding signs and chanting in response to the death of Floyd, who was detained after a convenience store clerk called the police for a counterfeit bill. Derek Chauvin, one of four police officers who arrived on the scene, knelt on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds during the arrest.

A “rainbow coalition of local millennials” who felt a call to action to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement organized a protest in Siler City on June 5.

“Siler City may be a peaceful small town, but we don’t see any kind of activism at the local level on such issues despite being the home to so many in the minority community,” said organizer Larry Sullivan, 28, of Siler City. “We wanted to provide an organized platform for people in the community to exercise their First Amendment rights.”

A “call to solidarity and unity” was held at the Chatham County Justice Center in Pittsboro on June 6.

Alston Chapel United Holy Church Senior Pastor Jerry Powell, one of the organizers of the event, said it wasn’t a protest or a demonstration.

“Our purpose and focus is to not only call attention to what has recently happened, but we’re about change,” he said.

Most of the demonstrations held were peaceful, but as the weather got warmer, some of the protests got heated.

In July, police arrived at the Chatham County Historic Courthouse to disperse a crowd of pro-Confederate supporters as well as counter protestors due to an altercation that occurred.

As a result, the Pittsboro Police Department issued warrants for the arrest of Tommy Parnell of Surry County for felony assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious bodily injury and four misdemeanor charges including assault on a female, inciting a riot, disorderly conduct and impeding traffic.

In October, nearly 50 people holding signs and yelling chants gathered at the Chatham County Historic Courthouse in a standoff with one side denouncing racism and the other praising President Donald Trump and the Confederacy.

Community members learned about the “Honk for Trump” rally and found election propaganda in Pittsboro. Chatham Takes Action began organizing the event, which had been called “Mask up, speak out racism out of Pboro” on social media. Before the event, a fistfight erupted in the courthouse plaza. No one was arrested, though it took Roberson and three Pittsboro policemen to diffuse the situation.

No elections interference from protests was recorded in Chatham County this year.

Darrion Smith, a 47-year-old healthcare worker and union organizer who spoke at the demonstration by the STOP Killing Us group in July at the Chatham County Justice Center, said that those who are not impacted by racism should address history to help enact change.

“It’s an ugly history,” he said. “Yes, it’s really ugly. But that doesn’t mean we’ve got to stay there. You didn’t do it. Your ancestors did it, but you didn’t do it. But guess what’s fallen on you? Their sins have fallen on you. You have to change it.”