As protests have erupted in cities across the country in the wake of George Floyd’s death, the media attention has largely focused on the ones in bigger cities: Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Washington. But as CNN reports, smaller communities have also seen groups gather to advocate for justice and equality.
About 75 miles south of St Louis, in Farmington, Missouri, dozens of protesters have turned up on a couple of occasions during these past couple of weeks. Grace Gilliam, a resident of the community of about 20,000, said that she was surprised that so many people in her town, which she had once considered “narrow-minded,” expressing solidarity with her protest.
“Even if it was small, it was loud, and it was powerful… It is not specifically in big cities where people of color are facing injustices, it’s all over America,” she said.
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About 150 miles to the northeast, in Paducah, Kentucky, Kaneesha Willie wanted to show her mixed-race children that their lives, and their voices, matter in the town of about 25,000. Last week, she was joined by hundreds of other protesters at the town’s statue of its namesake, Chief Paduke, to advocate for justice and equality.
“We all bleed red. We are all one and the protest really showed that our community came together. It was beautiful,” she said.
Hundreds gathered at the Wacinton statue at Noble Park in Paducah, KY to march in solidarity to the city’s Martin Luther King monument as a peaceful protest to police brutality affecting the nation. pic.twitter.com/a9KC9mo9gX
— JB Brines (@JonBrines) June 1, 2020
In Holland, Arkansas, a town of only about 550 people, it was a one-man show. Chad Jones wanted to show that he stood for justice and equality, so he stood in front of a farm holding a “Black Lives Matter” sign while wearing a “Defend Equality” t-shirt. At least one friend, a fellow farmer, said he wanted to join him.
“It’s relieving to see more with open minds. People are angry. This has been going on for years and it keeps happening. I understand why people of color are frustrated,” he said.
As has been the case with protests in larger cities, not all of the small-town protests have been peaceful.
For example, in Murray, Kentucky , according to WKMS , a protest consisting of about 50 people was marred by multiple violent incidents involving counterprotesters. In one incident, captured on video and posted to social media, someone sprayed pepper spray at the protesters.
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In a separate incident, police responded to a report of a man with a gun pointed at protesters. And in another one, an individual allegedly attempted to drive his vehicle into the crowd of protesters but was stopped by police before he could do any harm.
“The Constitution allows everyone the right to peacefully protest,” said the Murray Police Department in response to the incidents.