As Black Lives Matter protests continue to play out around the country, two Greenwood residents plan to bring the movement to the city.
Jamy Tucker, 18, and Camden Lilly, 20, helped organize a Black Lives Matter protest, which is set to take place Friday evening in downtown Greenwood. The duo hopes to shed light on and ask for reforms to police brutality, they said.
The protest is part of a movement that, for the last couple of weeks, has swept the nation. Thousands are protesting police brutality and the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who suffocated to death after a former Minneapolis police officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes until he eventually lost consciousness. That officer, Derek Chauvin, has since been fired, arrested and charged with murder.
Protesters have continued to march through downtown Indianapolis and other parts of the city for two weeks straight, and Tucker and Lilly decided it was time to bring a peaceful protest to their hometown. Until now, they both attended the protests in Indianapolis.
“We want to open the eyes of people in our community who maybe feel like these aren’t problems in our world because they don’t have to deal with them as much on a daily basis,” Tucker said.
They reached out to Greenwood resident and former Democrat city council candidate Matthew Smith to help them organize the protest and get the word out. They created a Facebook event, and by Wednesday afternoon, as many as 200 people had said they’re planning to attend.
“What these things do is signal out loud to everybody that there are people with your values in the community, and to make them feel welcome and a part of our community,” he said.
The protest will run from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday near South Meridian Street and Surina Way, just south of the Greenwood Public Library. Public parking is available in the Our Lady of the Greenwood Church lot east of the protest site.
As part of the event, volunteers will register voters, host a campaign where attendees can write letters to the Greenwood Police Department, read aloud the names of black victims of police brutality and a have an eight-minute and 45-second moment of silence—the amount of time it took to kill Floyd—to honor him.
Response from the community has been mostly positive, but there have also been comments from people who fear a protest may lead to violence.
“A lot of people are not happy with me doing this protest and have told me they are disgusted and disappointed. I don’t really care what they have to say about it because I’m going to continue to fight and stand up for what’s right,” Tucker said.
Smith understands why people may be concerned about potential violence, given the first weekend of protests in Indianapolis resulted in shootings, fires, looting and damage to several stores, but he’s confident this protest will be peaceful. He is encouraging people to not bring weapons.
“This is meant to be a family event; I’m bringing my family,” Smith said. “When you bring weapons, that can be seen as intimidating.”
The Greenwood Police Department plans to have a small presence at the protests to protect those participating, said Matt Fillenwarth, assistant police chief and spokesperson for the department.
“Obviously, we’ll have officers out there, but we won’t be in full riot gear. We’re more than happy to sit there to make sure it’s safe,” Fillenwarth said.
Jay Hart, a Greenwood resident and former Republican candidate for city council and Indiana House District 58, organized an unofficial American flag parade through downtown Greenwood at the same time as the Black Lives Matter protest, about 6:30 p.m. Friday, from Sam’s Club on the city’s east side west to State Road 135.
Hart decided to plan the parade to show the city’s support for law enforcement and America during a time of unrest, he said. Residents are invited to join in with their cars, trucks or motorcycles to drive through Greenwood displaying American flags. Hart is expecting about 60 people to attend, he said.
The parade is in no way meant to counter the Black Lives Matter protest, he said, adding that it is coincidental that both are planned for the same time.
“This flag parade has nothing to do with that. This is just an opportunity for people to be patriots,” Hart said.
Hart doesn’t think there will be a huge turnout at the Black Lives Matter protest, but said he supports their right to peacefully protest. He is concerned the protest might bring outside rioters, he said.
“I don’t agree with their narrative, but that’s great that they’re out there doing it and they’re participating in America,” Hart said. “But I think it gives an opportunity for bad people to show up and do bad things.”
Mick McGrath, owner of Jockamo’s Pizza in Greenwood, is not worried about the protest at all, he said. Jockamo’s is located on Madison Avenue in Greenwood, which is near the planned protest site.
“These people are interested in change … that’s separate from the people who looted downtown,” McGrath said.
Protest organizers plan to ask the city to consider creating a citizen review board to look at Greenwood police’s use of force policies, Smith said.
Most importantly, the protest is meant to allow time for people of color and those affected by police brutality to speak out and share their stories with the community they call home, Smith said.
They want these stories to reach elected officials, who can help make change, Smith said. All nine Greenwood City Council members and Mayor Mark Myers were invited to attend the protest, Smith said.
Myers plans to attend and speak briefly.
“They have their right to hold their protest and have their opinions heard. We support their freedom of speech,” Myers said.
Smith hadn’t heard whether any council members will be there, he said.
Several other elected officials and 2020 election candidates were invited too, including U.S. Rep. Trey Hollingsworth, as well as Indiana House District 58 and House District 93 candidates.
Andy Ruff, the Democratic candidate running against Hollingsworth for the 9th Congressional District will be in attendance. Other Democrat candidates have confirmed their attendance with plans to speak during the event as well.
“We want to have as many of these people there so they can hear these stories and these accounts,” Smith said.
