GREENFIELD — Signs declaring “Black lives matter” covered the sidewalk and lawn off U.S. 40 in front of the Hancock County Courthouse as an estimated 200 people gathered for a protest Thursday evening.
Many drivers passing by honked in support and gave a thumbs-up out their windows, setting off cheers throughout the crowd. Chants occasionally rang out among participants. Some protesters gathered in prayer.
Occasionally motorists passed with offensive gestures and angry shouts, but protest organizer David Lakes urged participants not to engage.
Lakes, 23, Greenfield, organized the event in the wake of the protests that have been occurring across much of the U.S. and parts of the world after George Floyd, a black man, was killed by Derek Chauvin, a white Minneapolis police officer, on May 25.
Lakes, who is white, said his motivation for organizing the protest went beyond racially driven police brutality.
“We can’t enslave a population and then actively oppress them and not expect disparities to happen later on in time,” he said. “Poverty is cyclical, violence is really cyclical, so it goes deeper than things we just see on TV.”
Lakes was pleasantly surprised by the protest’s attendance.
Greenfield Police Chief Jeff Rasche estimated the turnout neared 200. Several officers monitored the scene, including Hancock County Sheriff Brad Burkhart.
Rasche said he spoke with Lakes before the protest and that it was well planned.
“We’re here to support whoever wants to come out on our streets and have their voice heard,” Rasche said.
He added law enforcement was prepared if the event became disorderly. He said he wasn’t concerned about the people participating in the planned protest, but the potential for those with opposing views to attend and attempt to start a dispute.
“We wanted to make sure that we had a plan, and we do, and hopefully we won’t need it,” Rasche said.
A small group of people gathered across the street from the courthouse in support of law enforcement and held signs that read, “Back the blue.”
Members of the main protest briefly knelt before the event ended at its scheduled time of 7 p.m.
Lakes said another protest is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Friday, June 5 at the same location. It may return on Saturday as well, but those details are still being worked out.
This report will be updated.
