KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — It’s night and day between the protests taking place in Grand Rapids and the latest ones in Kalamazoo.
While the National Guard has been called in to keep protests civil in downtown Grand Rapids, dozens of churches in the Kalamazoo County region planned silent and peaceful prayer protests on Tuesday at numerous locations within the City of Kalamazoo.
Those locations included outside the Kalamazoo County Courthouse on West Michigan Avenue, the corner of North and Park Streets on the city’s Northside, and on the corner of Main Street and Drake Road.
Outside the courthouse, protesters put duck tape over their mouths or on their face masks with words written on them such as “justice” and “healing.” They laid on the ground with their hands behind their backs for nine minutes, the same way George Floyd did when he was killed. Once the nine minutes were up they continued to pray silently while standing and social distancing along West Michigan Avenue.
“We are praying silently for justice,” Executive Director for Kalamazoo House of Prayer Tami Flick said. “For a long time, the church hasn’t always known what to do. We feel like we’re at a time where the church has to step up to the plate. We haven’t always been very public with our desire to see justice, and I have a lot of friends that want to speak out, but they don’t know how.”
Flick adds that this is only the first step.
“It’s important, as the Body of Christ, that we step up to the plate, that the world knows we hear them, that we’re listening,” Flick said. “We don’t pretend to know all the answers, but we know the one who does, and we’re willing to contend for Him to release those answers to reveal what we’re specifically supposed to be doing in each city. We’re all in, and we want the world to know we’re all in. We’re listening and we’re trying to learn.”
Flick noted that this movement is a partnership with the organization Civil Righteousness.
KDPS says they will be enhancing staffing to provide additional police presence at the locations within the city limits, and will “ensure people’s First Amendment Rights are protected.”
Kalamazoo Mayor David Anderson spoke to WKZO as the protest was underway after 6 p.m.
“I chose to kneel, I decided not to lay down, but I totally get it – it is gut-wrenchingly symbolic and appropriate,” Anderson said of the protest. “We’re at a tipping point, I think people have had it. I can’t totally understand it, because of the life I’ve lived. I’ve not experienced things that many other folks particularly, we’re talking about people of color in this country, have experienced it. I think real things need to happen, I am 100% committed to [making sure] that work occurs here in Kalamazoo.”
Anderson also spoke about the possibility of the protests getting out of hand.
“I am definitely concerned about that,” Anderson said. “Here’s what I’m going to believe – I’m gonna believe that’s not gonna happen in Kalamazoo. I don’t think that is Kalamazoo, and I don’t think that’s gonna get us. I am hoping, trusting and praying, please support us to do the work we need to do, and let’s start with something. Let’s not burn it down.”
