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Rallies against racism and police violence and in memory of a Minnesota man killed by police continued across Wyoming late last week and over the weekend.

From a rally that drew about 500 in Sheridan to a vigil in Casper where attendees observed 8 minutes, 46 seconds of silence in honor of George Floyd, the peaceful demonstrations drew hundreds.

About 500 rally in Sheridan

By Allayana Darrow

The Sheridan Press

Via- Wyoming News Exchange

SHERIDAN — About 500 turned out for the Black Lives Matter Solidarity Peaceful Protest Friday evening, which began at the Sheridan County Fulmer Public Library and proceeded down Main Street to the Sheridan County Courthouse, before returning to the library.

The procession began shortly after 6 p.m. and dissipated by 7:30 p.m. As the group prepared to depart, co-organizer Jess Harrelson cautioned the crowd not to engage with anyone seeking to incite disruption.

“As a white ally, do not engage,” Harrelson said. “Do not be violent. Use your minds, be peaceful, OK?”

The procession remained entirely peaceful, despite some provocation from a few dozen counter-protestors across the street and passersby.

Sheridan Police Department officers on foot, bicycle and in patrol cars monitored the demonstration in its entirety. SPD Lt. Travis Koltiska said prior to the demonstration, officers would be stationed “to not only prevent any violence or property destruction from occurring, but also to ensure the rights of the demonstrators to peacefully assemble are protected.”

Some community members spoke to their experiences living in Sheridan as a black person, including Derrick Linzy, who spoke about overcoming fear and his journey living in different U.S. cities.

Linzy said as he has discovered his love for Wyoming, he hopes the state, nation and world can come to realize the value of people’s internal traits, not the color of their skin — to which the crowd responded, “we love you.”

Marchers of all generations carried signs and chanted “Say their names,” “I can’t breathe” and “No justice, no peace, no racist police.”

Several demonstrators and co-organizer Jamie Schlegel said they did not expect to see so many turn out in Sheridan but were pleasantly surprised to see such support.

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About 200 rally in latest Cheyenne protest

By Margaret Austin and Tom Coulter

Wyoming Tribune Eagle

Via- Wyoming News Exchange

CHEYENNE – When she moved to Wyoming from Georgia last year, Danika Faison thought life might get a bit easier for her as a gay black woman. But after a few months in the Equality State, she reached a grim conclusion.

“It’s the same experience,” she said. “(Racism) has been going on for years and years and years, back to when I even think about me being 5 years old in kindergarten.”

In the wake of the videotaped killing of George Floyd – a 46-year-old black man – by a Minneapolis police officer last month, the issues Faison saw from an early age have quickly entered the spotlight of American life.

The wave of demonstrations spurred by Floyd’s murder continued Sunday in Cheyenne, where roughly 200 protestors gathered to denounce structural racism and police brutality against black people.

“We’re not doing this just for looks and giggles,” Faison, 26, said. “We’re here because (police brutality) is happening, and America needs to know that it’s happening and not let it get pushed under the rug.”

The peaceful protest – Cheyenne’s largest so far – followed a week of Black Lives Matter demonstrations in other Wyoming towns, including Casper, Laramie, Sheridan and Pinedale. At 4 p.m. Sunday, two groups of protestors met separately at the Wyoming State Capitol and the Depot Plaza before joining forces to march to the Cheyenne Police Department headquarters.

Once they arrived at CPD’s Public Safety Center, the demonstrators dropped to the ground – hands behind their backs and cheeks touching the concrete – in remembrance of the 8 minutes and 46 seconds during which an officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck.

As the group laid motionless on the cement, Faison and others read Floyd’s final words: “Please, Mama, I can’t breathe … Everything hurts … They’re going to kill me.”

During the rally, demands for reform varied from person to person, but everyone spoke of the urgent need for something to change. Cleyton Bauer, who organized the Depot Plaza march, said he’d like to see external review boards for instances of police brutality, more citizen involvement in the creation of policing policies and a demilitarization of police departments.

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Protests continue in Laramie, more expected

By The Laramie Boomerang

Via –Wyoming News Exchange

The rain on Saturday afternoon didn’t deter hundreds of protesters from taking to Laramie’s streets, with another day of gathering expected today. Those political demonstrations should continue next week.

Protests taking place nationally and internationally continued in the Gem City on Saturday after the controversial death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minnesota.

Demonstrators numbered in hundreds to potentially thousands this week as daily protests began early in the week and continued through Saturday with protesters marching through rain.

Resident Adam Comeau said he’s marched every day since Thursday, saying he wanted to participate in “an important part of history.”

“One cool part about being an American citizen

is having the right to do this peacefully and legally,” he said.

Comeau said he’s had conversations with people he didn’t necessarily agree with about the political protest and appreciated how he can get along with folks who don’t share his point of view.

“I had some cool conversations yesterday with someone I didn’t necessary agree with, but we’re both were adults, and at the end, we exchanged numbers. I hope to see more of that.”

Casper vigil attendees stand silent to honor Floyd

By Shane Sanderson, Morgan Hughes and Seth Klamann

Casper Star-Tribune

Via- Wyoming News Exchange

CASPER — Standing on the tailgate of a pickup, the Rev. Dee Lundberg glanced at her phone. The crowd in front of her, several hundred strong, was silent.

Lundberg had called for eight minutes and 46 seconds of quiet. That’s how long a Minneapolis police officer held his knee onto the neck of George Floyd. That officer kept his knee there, pressing Floyd into the concrete as Floyd called out for his mother. He told the officer he couldn’t breathe. Then he became unresponsive. The officer kept his knee in place.

Lundberg stood with her head down.

Time ticked slowly. After what seemed like an eternity, she spoke into her megaphone.

“It’s only been three minutes,” Lundberg said, before repeating what Floyd had said: “I can’t breathe.”

As the silence continued, one demonstrator threw a fist in the air. A second, third, fourth, 50th, 100th followed suit, the crowd suddenly stood in uniform silence and defiance of the status quo.

“Eight minutes is a long time,” Lundberg said, breaking the spell.

The protesters then turned and marched down David Street, the front rows walking with their arms linked. One woman began to sing.

The march was part of a vigil organized by the Pikes Peak Southern Christian Leadership Conference and held Friday evening in downtown Casper. It was the latest in a set of demonstrations in Casper following a groundswell of protests nationwide against racism and police brutality centered on the death of Floyd. Floyd, a black man, was in handcuffs when officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes as Floyd told the officer he couldn’t breathe, called out for his mother and then became unresponsive.

Mariah Bovee, the fourth speaker of the evening, made the most direct call for reform. During her remarks, she called for five specific policy implementations: creation of a citizen/first responders board; the immediate firing of any officer when they turn off body-worn cameras, cover their badges or force a person to stop recording; screening officers for bias as a condition of employment; and implementing anti-racist and deescalation training if what is now in place is not sufficient.

Bovee then called for the replacement of every lawmaker who does not work to tear down oppression.