Whether Derek Chauvin is guilty or not, Sacramento activists expect people to hit streets
It was unclear on Monday exactly what police and city officials are doing to prepare, but community activists say it’s likely there will be people marching in Sacramento whether fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is convicted in the death of George Floyd.
Over the past week, people have gathered near the California State Capitol in downtown Sacramento in response to two recent police killings in Minnesota and Illinois. The jury in the Chauvin trial began hearing closing arguments Monday morning, and it’s possible a verdict could be reached this week.
The mayor’s office referred questions to the Police Department about what is specifically being done to prepare for protests in response to the Chauvin trial verdict. Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg did speak about potential protests during a news conference last week.
“We embrace peaceful protest and at same time, we want to prepare because we know there are two approaches to protest,” Steinberg said during last week’s news conference. “One is peaceful, principled, strong protest and the other is property destruction and violence. The former we support, we respect, we uphold. The latter we do not.”
Sonia Lewis, with Liberation For Black Sacramento, said she expects groups marching through Sacramento streets, even if Chauvin is convicted. If the verdict is not guilty, she said you should expect large groups protesting, maybe even larger than the crowds from last summer as people initially responded to Floyd’s killing at the hands of police.
“I would expect nothing other than 10 times what we saw last year. My level of anger would be times 10,” Lewis said about the response to a not-guilty verdict. “”I’m being very realistic. My confidence level is not high in terms of a conviction.”
The Sacramento Police Department on Monday declined to disclose what preparations the department was taking to be ready for the outcome of this trial, which has captured the attention of many throughout the country.
“At this point we will not be disclosing specific details regarding preparations, however the Sacramento Police Department will be ready to dedicate personnel to monitor any demonstrations that may occur,” police said in a written statement to The Sacramento Bee. “We remain committed to facilitating first amendment rights for demonstrators, while also providing for the safety of our community and officers.”
The Police Department has posted updates on recent protests on its Twitter account and encouraged the public to follow their updates for information as protests unfold.
Michael Ault, executive director of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, said that some businesses had their windows boarded up Monday, but he believes those boards were already up there. He said they are being cautious but optimistic about the response to the Chauvin trial.
Ault said the partnership respects the right to protest, but they are concerned about the possibility of damage on downtown businesses who are still recovering from last summer. He said they don’t want to create “anxiety” among business owners, but they are encouraging them to monitor news of the trial and they will be sending alerts with the latest information.
“We are aware of the need for social equity and understand the impacts on the community,” Ault said. “We just hope that this message of inclusivity doesn’t turn into violence.”
Lewis said she doesn’t want anyone else telling her how she should voice her anger or frustration in response to the verdict, so she won’t be policing anyone else’s emotions that day either. As community organizers, she and others have been preparing for potential outcomes and working on ways to reduce any potential violence.
She also said she hopes attempts to protect property downtown will not be used as a reason to respond with violence toward protesters. It’s “not an excuse for continued bad behavior” by police and city officials, Lewis said.
Like other Black community activist in Sacramento, it’s been hard for Tanya Faison to watch the trial. The founder of Black Lives Matter Sacramento watched the first three days as they showed different camera angles as Floyd was pinned to the ground and gasping for air. She said the emotional testimony from those who witnessed Floyd’s death also was “overwhelming” for her.
But she has these same feelings each time another Black person has been killed brutalized by police. And that has continued to happen this past year, even after so many protested last summer in response to Floyd’s death, she said.
Faison hopes people will march in the streets no matter the trial’s outcome. She said it’s unclear whether the number of protesters will rival those seen last summer, but people should still be outraged about police brutality a year later.
“It’s nonstop, it just keeps happening,” Faison said.
Daunte Wright, 20, was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, a suburb of Minneapolis, on April 11 by an officer who said she had mistaken her service pistol for her Taser.
Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old boy, was shot in Chicago after dropping a gun and putting his hands up. Police bodycam footage showed the boy had nothing in his hands when the officer opened fire.
Berry Accius, founder of Voice of the Youth, said all police and city officials care about is protecting property and that there’s little effort to change systemic racism in policing on a national level.
“How are you going to keep asking for peace when these people are not peaceful toward us?” Accius said. “That’s why we’re here now, because we’ve been too calm.”
Accius, like Faison and Lewis, has been monitoring Chauvin’s trial, but has not been able to watch all the coverage of the court proceedings. But he said a guilty verdict should not be a time to celebrate.
He said a conviction does not mean everything has changed for the better, when many others, such as Wright and Toledo, have continued to be killed at the hands of police.
“This doesn’t change by a simple verdict,” Accius said. “There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done.”
