An Update On Yesterday’s Blog:
The Black Lives Matter peaceful protest, that was set for the streets of Traverse City this coming Saturday, has been canceled.
After numerous threats to the hosts of this event online, they decided to make the hard call.
I happen to have a few screenshots of the words that were chosen as threats, and some other insults that were tossed in.
To not share some of the misinformation that is being spewed into the rink feels like it would be wrong. It’s important to see that the hate spreads all over the country, including into our community.
I’m choosing to not share the names of people throwing not-so-thinly-veiled threats at protestors. But they’ve made their statements open to the public on the event page, and Overheard in Traverse City page on Facebook.
“I’m all for laying ass whoopings on anyone who thinks they are gonna come here and destroy our city. Lock n loads mother fuckers,” one man said on Facebook. [sic]
Another had a photo of three pistols, with a caption that read “shined and polished the Jewelry over the weekend.”
But I think what has to be the real golden egg of the whole thing is the story of one guy that we’ll call Chims.
You see, Chims is dead-set on the fact that Michael Moore was the one who set up this Traverse City protest.
When another commenter inquires whether Moore was apart of it in anyway, Chims responded “that fat POS is involved. Why else would BLM care about TC.”
Right away, he’s not showing that he’s credible, or very kind.
He’s dead wrong. Just because the event was planned to be set in front of the State does not mean the State, those who run it, or have their names attached to it condone the protest.
Though I didn’t reach out to the State for comment, if you’ve seen their marquee today you can read that they are in support of the movement.
The Theatre made a Facebook post showing their support with the caption that follows:
“The Traverse City Film Festival was founded to bring stories and voices from all walks of life to create a better understanding of the world, and to open communities to a broader view of the human experience.
Together we stand in solidarity with all who fight for a more just world in the fight against racism. Let’s come together to create a better tomorrow.”
The marquee reads “We Stand In Solidarity. Black Lives Matter.”
But it was never an idea that this protest had anything to do with the State, the Bijou, or who Chims refers to as “pure evil,” Michael Moore.
The event on the page has been canceled, but I’m sure that there will still be people there to protest and help spread word on the cause.
There have been some words circulating around the internet in a text thread between a mother and daughter.
When the daughter tells her mother that she’s been protesting in the cities, the mother understands.
“Here’s the main thing,” she says. “this isn’t about us, your anger, or our excitement. It’s about the millions of Black victims.”
She continues “always be thinking: how can I protect the black lives out here,” she says. “That’s our role as a white person.”
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Micah Mabey
