Hundreds came out to show their support for black lives Friday evening in Greenwood.
More than 500 people attended the planned Black Lives Matter rally. Protesters traveled from Johnson, Bartholomew and Marion counties to show their support, filling a large grass field across the street from Our Lady of the Greenwood Church, just south of the Greenwood Public Library.
They held signs that read “Black Lives Matter,” among others that listed the names of every black person killed as a result of police brutality or racism.
Hundreds at the event signed a petition asking the City of Greenwood to create a citizens review board to take a look at the Greenwood Police Department’s use of force policies. The line remained long during the entire 2 1/2-hour event. Organizers said at least 500 people signed the petition by the end of the night.
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Camden Lilly, a Greenwood resident who helped organize the protest, was grateful for the large turnout, he said. As a black man who also has a permit to carry a gun, Lilly said he is scared every time he is pulled over by police.
“Every time I have to tell the officer I have this gun in my car, it’s just nerve wracking,” Lilly said. “Actually seeing people have support for this (movement) … it’s great.”
Lilly was one of many at the protest who shared their stories. One protester, Ian J. Jiles, said he’s lived with that same fear his whole life. It’s something black people face every day.
“Even at 53 years old, just recently on a random stop on the highway, I felt that nervousness, that tenseness that most people (who) look like me feel,” Jiles said. “This is what we suffer through every single day … not because we did something wrong or we are criminals, but because of the way we look.”
Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers also addressed the crowd briefly, saying he wanted to set an example for the city. As someone who has worked in law enforcement, Myers knew the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was suffocated when a former Minneapolis police officer held his knee on his neck during an arrest, was not a split-second decision, he said.
“As a 57-year-old white male, the best thing I can do is step back and listen,” Myers said. “Make no mistake. I hear you. I see you. You matter, and black lives matter.”
Olisa Hughs, president of the Bartholomew County NAACP chapter, was among several speakers Friday. She addressed how people need to realize that everyone is human, and when she watched the video of Floyd, she pictured her son in his place.
"I could see my 16-year-old son under that officer’s knee … we can no longer allow that to happen," she said.
Hughs was among many mothers in attendance who held signs that read phrases along the lines of, "This momma heard you," when Floyd cried out for his mother in the video of his death, a video that has since gone viral.
Toure Davis, of Greenwood, was among the crowd of protesters Friday evening. Greenwood needs to be a leader for change in this movement, not a follower, he said.
"Instead of sitting back and waiting for everyone else to change, I think as a city, we should set an example," Davis said. "It’s really not about a black and white thing; it’s about evolving as humans."
Tim Jeffers, who has lived in Greenwood since 1957, shared stories of remembering the Ku Klux Klan marching in the streets.
Never again, he said.
"This is the proudest day I’ve ever experienced in Greenwood, Indiana … black lives matter," Jeffers said.
At the end of the protest, Lilly and Jamy Tucker, co-organizers of the event, read aloud the names of black people killed by police. Then, the protesters held a moment of silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time it took the officer to kill Floyd.
During that moment of silence, the All-American Flag Parade, which organizers said was coincidentally planned at the same time as Friday’s rally, drove by twice, honking their horns and playing music.
The Black Lives Matter protesters remained silent, holding their signs—and some fists—in the air.
A small counter protest formed across the street from the rally, along Madison Avenue, at the end of the event. Less than 10 people displayed American flags, “Trump 2020” flags and “Blue Lives Matter” signs.
The counter protestors remained behind the caution tape that was set up around the perimeter of the field. A small group from the Black Lives Matter rally walked over to them, asking why the counter protestors were there. A brief argument broke out before police asked members of the Black Lives Matter rally to move back toward the larger group.
Will Smiley, who was part of the counter protest, said he doesn’t hate the Black Lives Matter protesters. He believes that all American lives matter, and there should not be labels, he said.
“We are American. They are no different than us,” Smiley said. “We’re not hating on anybody. This isn’t racist. I’ll shake the hand of every person up there.”
The protest remained peaceful the entire time and wrapped up about 8:30 p.m. Tracey Clark, who helped organizers plan the event, told the crowd that Lilly and Tucker were the future because they stood up for something they believed in.
"They stood up, they asked for help, they organized, they came out peacefully … they took action," Clark said. "This is our future."
