KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Following a demonstration by community protesters over the weekend, efforts continued in Downtown Kalamazoo Wednesday evening.
The demonstrators are campaigning for changes in the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) in connection to the recent violence during a rally by the Proud Boys organization and counter protesters.
The initial protest had demonstrators gathered at the Michigan Avenue Courthouse Saturday to demand accountability from the department in what they described as a series of failures during the incident. At that event, organizers said they would continue these demonstrations every Wednesday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. through September.
Protests may continue longer than that, demonstrators said.
Protesters demonstrate for police reform in Kalamazoo on 9-16-20 in Downtown Kalamazoo. (Photo by Jeana Gondek)
“We are here to put pressure on the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety to hold them accountable to make changes within the department, and overall reforming the police department,” organizer Quentin Bryant told WKZO in an interview.
Co-organizer Noelle Massey elaborated on some of these goals.
“We’re looking for some initiatives that are gonna be focused on working with the youth,” Massey said. “Right now, we’ve got a lot of generational trauma and continuous re-traumatization happening with younger Kalamazoo residents in different neighborhoods, where we have police officers that don’t live in the neighborhood or community they are policing. Youth initiatives where we can focus on trying to bridge the gap between Public Safety, along with the youth.”
She said that relocating police officers to their own neighborhoods are part of that.
“Very specific initiatives, such as having an incentive, having police officers work from within the neighborhoods that they live in, rather than having someone from Mattawan working third shift in a neighborhood in Kalamazoo where they are very unfamiliar and culturally incompetent to even be in that situation,” Massey said.
Organizers said they are working to have a direct dialogue with KDPS, but at the time of this reporting, none have occurred yet.
“We have tried to work with city leadership, and we will say that there are several city commissioners that have been very willing to support the initiatives that, not only we as community co-organizers are working on, but other non-profits that have sprung out of this recent movement,” Massey said. “We don’t want to say all city leadership or all of KDPS leadership, but there are some very specific individuals that have a lot on their shoulders and refuse to carry that accountability adequately or appropriately, and therefore, we’re asking for change.”
Kalamazoo resident and representative of Village in the Valley Tamara “T.C.” Custard also spoke with WKZO about what people can do to help.
“Just make noise, make some social media noise, let your voice be heard, that’s the bottom line of it,” Custard said. “We’re out here not just speaking for ourselves and our children, but we’re out being a voice to so many people that either are essential or don’t have the time to be out here, but continue to make noise, call in to those City Commissioner meetings, that’s a big one. We’re living through some crucial times in Kalamazoo that we can’t sit back and be silent and still anymore, it’s time for us to really stay proactive and not reactive about the situations that are taking place.”
Custard adds that the support from city staff has been helpful, but that more needs to be done in communicating with KDPS.
“The reality of it is, Mayor Anderson knows our stance,” Custard said. “He knows that we want a working relationship with him, and not just with him or for him, but for the better good of our city. And we support Mayor Anderson, let me clear that up. It’s good for him to know that we’re out here also supporting him, but he needs to know that we support him through change. Chief Karianne Thomas, she had ample amounts of opportunities to have some type of conversation, or even come out here and get to know us. We support [Thomas] too, but we don’t support what’s been happening.”
She reiterated that accountability is a main goal of these protests to avoid similar situations in the future.
“We deserve you to be like, ‘look, we didn’t protect you, but this is what we’ll be doing to move forward to protect you now,'” Custard said. “When we’re not getting those narratives, it’s important for us to keep making that noise and apply that pressure. It’s just gonna be a continuation if we don’t. It’s not a matter of not supporting somebody, it’s a matter of us making sure we’re in alignment of invoking our First Amendment right, as well as letting them know that we want working relationships to help better and bridge the gap between the African-American community and the whole community within Kalamazoo in whole.”
Protesters demonstrate for police reform in Kalamazoo on 9-16-20 in Downtown Kalamazoo. (Photo by Jeana Gondek)
In relation to the Proud Boys rally, Custard says the organization is moving past that.
“It’s done, it’s over with, and we can’t change that,” Custard said. “We can sit here and say who did what and point fingers, but we’re past that point. If we really want to work together and say, ‘you know what, collectively, this is where we’re at,’ we can’t focus on the past. The Proud Boys is dead and gone, because that’s not why we’re out here. I want to make that very clear, the Proud Boys is a part of why we’re out here, but we’re out here trying to invoke true policy change and bring some ordinances into places that will really solidify a working relationship, as well as cultural competence, between the African-American community and the residents of Kalamazoo.”
She emphasized that Cultural Competency is another gap that needs to be addressed.
Organizers added that these are peaceful protests, and violence is not tolerated.
“We stop anybody that doesn’t act peaceful and wants to demonstrate in a different way,” Bryant added. “I have personally told people they’re not allowed to protest with us if that’s what you choose to do. We use our voice as loud as we can, but we do it peacefully.”
These demonstrations will continue every Wednesday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. through September, though they may continue past that point.
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