Nearly 600 days of protests and counting; Wooster BLM seeks police policy changes in 2022

WOOSTER – Waving and smiling at Liberty and Market streets downtown was Dave Griffith with nearly a dozen other demonstrators. He held a sign that read, "Black Lives Matter to me."

Griffith was one of many area residents, members of the Wayne County Racial Justice Coalition and the NAACP who organized at the city square roughly a year and a half ago following the death of George Floyd — a 46-year-old Black man who was murdered May 25, 2020 by a white police officer in Minneapolis.

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While not a daily rally-goer, he makes an appearance as often as he can make it.

"I've been coming down here a lot more recently," the 59-year-old Griffith said. "Now that I am older, I can pull back on my jobs and have more time."

Wooster's Black Lives Matter demonstrations are among the longest-running daily protests in the nation, now approaching 600 consecutive days, notably on Jan. 21, the week of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

As the first week of 2022 ends, the Racial Justice Coalition still rallies for equality while protesting the nationwide police violence and racism.

A new year means new goals and some familiar ones.

Policy changes remain the top priority

Among the coalition's top priorities: Ban carotid holds, chokeholds and no-knock warrants, said Désirée Weber, the political and community engagement committee chair of the NAACP and Racial Justice Coalition.

To make these changes, more is needed than daily demonstrations, Weber said. The coalition is in talks with city leaders and the Wooster Police Department to advocate for the changes.

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Wooster police have rarely used the two holds and no-knock warrants in the past, however, Weber hopes to see these changes codified in policy.

"Wooster police practices are commendable, but the written policies don't reflect what's being practiced," said Weber. "We think that the Wooster Police Department would be the perfect model for both larger and smaller departments."

The department could allow such practices to go unchecked in the future if these policies are not codified, she said.

Another point the coalition continues to press is transparent and more publicly accessible police data.

To aid in this, Weber took on a research assistant student at the College of Wooster who will comb through data requested by the coalition. They will also dig through best policing practices, she said.

Protesters rally on Jan. 6 opposite the daily BLM demonstration

As coalition and NAACP members gathered in their usual spot Thursday, another group of nearly 25 people coalesced at noon across the street under the Civil War memorial statue.

Standing opposite the BLM rally were individuals holding signs that read, "Never give up freedom," and "Jesus Matters." Some waved signs expressing opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine while other signs described a tyrannical vaccination mandate.

On the anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, some members of the rally, like Jason Miller, believe the reported events of that day are a lie.

Miller insists police allowed BLM and ANTIFA members entry into the Capitol building to cause mayhem, despite multiple reports that disprove this claim.

Despite the number of demonstrators in the area, there was little interaction between the two rallies. Each group's gathering broke up one hour later at 1 p.m.

The rally of nearly two dozen people included Wayne County residents and some from Medina, Canton and one from Defiance.

An Ohio-based organization, Pass the Salt Ministries, rallied multiple conservative and Christian groups to the event, including the Ohio Freedom Fighters and We The People, said Gary Pierce, one of the protesters.

Dave Daubenmire founded Pass the Salt in 2000 and co-founded Christian Revolution in 2021, according to Pierce.

Christian Revolution raises money and provides grants to Christian and conservative groups and individuals, according to its website. It rallied supporters in multiple states to hold an event called Celebrate Freedom Day on Jan. 6.

MLK Day events

Aside from political and policy action, outreach is a large goal of the coalition and NAACP that will ramp up in 2022, Weber said.

This includes working with organizations like the Rotary Club, Trinity United Church of Christ, First Presbyterian Church and others.

Part of this outreach includes a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event. A demonstration will take place at the city square from noon to 1 p.m. Speakers will talk about civil rights leaders such as King and the impact the movement still has today.

Later, the 12 winners of the MLK essay contest will be announced. Each will receive a cash prize and a plaque.

Reach Bryce by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com

On Twitter: @Bryce_Buyakie

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Daily Black Lives Matter rallies near 600-day mark in Wooster