APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Hundreds of people gathered at Houdini Plaza in downtown Appleton Sunday for a peaceful demonstration.
They came out to protest, not only the death of George Floyd, but other black people killed by police.
What started off as a group at Houdini Plaza chanting and shouting their beliefs, turned into a sea of people, lying down, hands behind their backs, demonstrating their support for so many whose lives ended that very same way.
“George Floyd is one of many, many on a list, which is sad to say, but it’s the truth,” protester Kayla Lones said. “This isn’t just George Floyd’s anger, this is all of our anger.”
People from all walks of life throughout the Fox Valley came out to say their names, not just the name of one, but of the several who have now also too been forever silenced.
“It was so much more than I thought it was,” Samantha Trewin of Kimberly said, showing FOX 11 a collage she made, after visiting the Black Lives Matter Facebook page.
“Every name is important, it’s not just about the ones you hear about on news; the protest isn’t just about George Floyd, it’s about the inequality and the fact that my America, as a white woman, is not the same America that a black woman is facing, or a black man.”
People of all ages and races wanted their voices heard.
“Even though I’m white, I have a lot of white privilege, and that’s not right in today’s society,” said protester Lola Balthazor.
“I think we all need to be equal, and that’s why we’re all coming together as one today.”
Some, simply holding up signs with four simple words that spoke volumes.
“If anything, the police should be the maddest of all,” said protester co-organizer Faith Roska.
“This is their profession, this is their career and these bad cops are giving these police a bad name, when there are a lot of good police, and I think police, out of all of us, really need to be holding each other accountable.”
Other protests throughout the country have turned violent, even disastrous, but Appleton saw another day of peaceful protesting.
“People think anger is the only way to get your point across,” Lones said. “While sometimes that may be true, especially in instances like in Minneapolis, here in Appleton, we’ve been blessed to have a peaceful protest and still having our voice heard.”
Appleton Police says there were no arrests or disturbances they needed to respond to Sunday.
