Black Lives Matter rally attracts all sorts

It was a chaotic but peaceful scene as protesters stood their ground in Clarkston.

Vehicles driving across the Interstate Bridge were hit with three protests at once. Protesters in support of Black Lives Matter lined the sidewalk in front of Community Bank, while All Lives Matter protesters set up next to the Interstate Bridge. Across the street, with signs held high, were Christian church supporters in front of the Taco Time restaurant.

Shouts of "All Lives Matter," "Jesus Matters," "No Lives Matter" and "Black Lives Matter is a terrorist organization" could be heard from both passing cars and protesters. A rebel flag flew in the wind attached to a passing truck that drove up and down the Interstate Bridge during the rally.

Madison Winn of Lewiston organized the Black Lives Matter rally after the shooting deaths of two black men a few weeks ago. Philando Castile was allegedly shot and killed by an officer in Minnesota and Alton Sterling met a similar fate in Louisiana. Winn was using the rally to speak out against police brutality and systemic racism.

Winn said she was surprised by Friday's turnout.

"I was expecting only a fourth of this," she said about the estimated 150 people who sprawled on the sidewalk to make their voices heard. The All Lives Matter protesters yelled their support of police, and the Black Lives Matter protesters held signs with messages that read "Peace," "I have a dream" and "White silence equals white consent."

But Winn wasn't the only one who was surprised.

Tommy Miles Williams, 18, said the rally was emotional for him.

Ethnically, Williams said he's black and Nez Perce. Growing up in Idaho wasn't easy, he said.

"I'm actually really touched by it," he said of the crowd.

"I was a little scared about going," he said about the rally. "I don't know what to expect from people."

But Williams said the only way to fight racism is to show kindness.

That was the motto of Winn as she passed out posters and peace signs. She admitted to being scared and didn't know what the rally would bring. In the parking lot before the rally, Winn said she had a few people yelling expletives at her.

On Wednesday, someone posted a photo of her house and address on Facebook and said they should all meet up there instead. Winn said it was an attempt to intimidate her and maybe stop her from holding the rally.

But Winn said it was important to move forward with her message, despite threats of violence.

"It's about starting the conversation for racial injustice," she said. "We are not going to be silent in the face of hate speech."

The hate speech and threats that surfaced on the event's Facebook page in the weeks before the rally didn't only scare Winn, they frightened many of the other protesters who decided to come despite the worry of violence.

"If we don't come out then we're letting the people against it win," said Emmaline Kitter, 18.

Kitter said she was nervous after seeing all the threats on the Facebook page, but felt it was her responsibility to stand up for what she believes in. Kitter started following the Black Lives Matter movement after Michael Brown was shot and killed at the hands of police in Ferguson, Mo., in 2014.

"We have to make sure everyone is protected," she said. "We have to make sure people aren't shot on the streets for no reason."

Kitter said she hopes the rally spreads awareness to the community and support for the movement to stop inequality among the races.

But Wayne Adams, a protester supporting All Lives Matter, said he disagrees with the Black Lives Matter message. He stood at the rally with his American flag and his black dog named Glock.

Adams said he agrees that at least 10 percent of the shootings of unarmed black men aren't justified and that the Black Lives Matter people have a right to be concerned.

"They have something to be upset about," Adams said, but he added that police also have a right to be concerned.

Although Adams believes 10 percent of the shootings aren't justified, he said he believes the other 90 percent of them are.

Adams made the argument that a majority of black youth don't grow up with fathers and they aren't taught to respect the police. He said many grow up with gangs as role models.

"You don't ask questions," he said about how to handle being stopped by a police officer. "You just do what he says."

Mark Moeckli, an All Lives Matter protester, said the Black Lives Matter movement was created out of ignorance and the people who participate in it aren't taking in all the facts of the shootings. He said they are picking out facts that work for their movement.

"People like to jump to conclusions without getting all the facts," he said. "We're in support of the cops. They have a tough job."

The passion of people on both sides of the issue could be seen as people jumped out of vehicles in the middle of the road to join one side or the other.

Carl Carothers, a Moscow resident and All Lives Matter supporter, said he caught a ride to the rally and jumped out of the truck in the middle of the road.

He stood in front of Black Lives Matter protesters with his arms crossed and giving a stoic stare.

"I'm standing in opposition to Black Lives Matter," he said. "I believe a tiny portion of people die at the hands of police."

Lewiston Police Chief Chris Ankeny said he was glad to see the mix of peaceful protests. The original plan was to have the rally on the sidewalk that spans the bridge, but he said that caused a lot of safety and traffic concerns and he asked for it to be moved.

"We told her (Winn) it'll be a better place to do it off the bridge," he said.

Although the location moved slightly, Ankeny said the event still needed a large police presence.

"It is a lot of resources we have to use," he said, noting there were at least half a dozen officers present for the rally.

Ankeny said he supports people who want to practice their First Amendment right to peacefully assemble.

First Amendment rights are what brought Elizabeth Taylor and her friends out to the rally. Taylor said she was apprehensive about attending the rally because of the potential for violence and threats she saw on the event's Facebook page.

"I had gone back and forth about wether or not to come out," she said. "But I didn't want to be bullied into not using my First Amendment right."

Taylor was joined by her friends Branden Devault and his brother Travis Devault. The brothers agreed to go with her so she felt safe.

"This is looking to be the whitest Black Lives Matter movement," Travis Devault said, noting many who participated in the protest, on both sides, were white.

The brothers, however, didn't share Taylor's concern about possible violence. They were more concerned about getting the message of racial equality out.

"There has to be a pushback to racism," Branden Devault said. "Black lives matter, even here in Idaho."

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Thacker may be contacted at sthacker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2278.