O’Fallon protest organizers inspired by messages of hope and unity

Twelve-year-old Julian Anderson of O’Fallon, wearing a “I Am Black History” T-shirt, accompanied his mother, Kristina Anderson, to the peaceful protest in O’Fallon on Saturday. He said he was disturbed by recent events.

“I wanted to make my voice heard,” he said.

Nearby, a teenager sat on a patch of grass with a homemade “Black Lives Matter” poster.

“This is beautiful,” she said. “It shows great unity. We have to keep the momentum going.”

Co-organizers were encouraged by the diverse crowd of at least 200 who filled the O’Fallon City Hall parking lot to protest racism, police brutality and George Floyd’s death by a Minneapolis police officer on Memorial Day.

Several of those in attendance said they were inspired by the messages of unity and hope.

“What’s next?” people wanted to know. They did not want the activism to stop, and co-organizers will not stop, they said. Stay tuned on Next Door App, co-organizer Alisha Rose noted.

Rose and Christine Ponsano, along with Donna Johnson, put the word out on the Next Door app last week. They were part of a Black Lives Matter group that had been discussing the George Floyd killing and systemic racism in society.

“We had good communication and conversations about needing a change in our community. That is how we brought everyone together,” Rose said.

There were no uniformed police in sight but organizers said the city was helpful and cooperative. The crowd was a diverse mix of young and old, black and white.

On the second weekend of civil unrest, protests grew in size, from small towns to major cities in all 50 U.S. states as well as international cities like London, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, Sydney and others.

Ponsano called the turnout “amazing.”

“We expected 30 people. It gives me hope. So many youth are using their voices. It’s a proud moment,” she said.

Rosie Ponsano, Christine’s daughter, said it was important to start a dialogue with facts. She said it was necessary to look over the local policies and practices.

Emcee Al Keeler of O’Fallon, who is retired military, said the crowd exceeded his expectations.

“To see these high school and college kids show up here, that’s a big part of it. That is why I think we have a shot to change things. This brought everyone together. Not just parents bringing their kids but kids bringing their parents,” he said.

“Everyone pitched in and made this happen. Today there was a really young vibe, and I think the young people can bring about positive change,” he said.

Teron Bowman II, who belongs to the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, was one of the speakers. He had organized a protest earlier that week in front of the police station. He is a college student who attended O’Fallon Township High School.

“In school, they made us say the Pledge of Allegiance every day ‘with liberty and justice for all’ and we know that is not true,” he said.

Keeler asked the crowd to be silent for 8 minutes, 46 seconds, which was the amount of time Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin had his knee on the unarmed Floyd, who was cooperative during his arrest. Many in the crowd took a knee.

“He was basically tortured for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Think about the system that created the officer that thought it was OK to do this to another to human being,” he said.

Three members of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity lied on the hot asphalt for 8 min and 46 seconds silence: Nick King of East St Louis, Rev. Thomas Hood Jr. of Southern Mission Baptist Church in East St. Louis and Dar’rel Stewart of O’Fallon. They put their hands behind their back, as if handcuffed.

“It matters. It is our responsibility as a community service organization to be here,” King said.

The crowd applauded their symbolic gesture.

NAACP, O’Fallon Police Department’s Actions/Reactions

Francine Nicholson, president of the O’Fallon chapter of the NAACP, said the police chief, Eric Van Hook, called her the day after the Floyd killing.

“Francine, we need to talk,” she said he told her.

Nicholson said she and the chief have talked about what they can do better and what needs to be done, and she praised the police department for its “community policing efforts.”

Nicholson said the conversations will be ongoing and they want to hear from residents, especially young black men. Nicholson also encouraged people to register to vote.

“We are currently working with Francine to schedule dates and times to meet,” Van Hook said.

Two years ago, the city and NAACP signed a resolution regarding 10 Shared Principles.

At that time, Van Hook said, “The city of O’Fallon has strict policies in place that prohibit any type of discrimination. In addition, our staff undergoes regular training regarding this topic. Any member of our organization that violates this policy will be held accountable for his/her actions.”

Statement from O’Fallon Police Chief

On May 28, two days after the nation saw the video and heard about Floyd’s killing, Van Hook wrote a letter, which was posted on the O’Fallon Police Department’s Facebook page. He said he “did not want the reckless and horrific actions of four Minneapolis police officers to define our profession and department.”

Van Hook said O’Fallon emphasizes the importance of using de-escalation tactics, and that his officers have worked hard to build relationships and trust in the community. His statement is in italics below.

The tragic death of George Floyd while in custody by Minneapolis police officers has sparked outrage across the nation. As I watched this disturbing video, I, much like you, was overcome with emotions of anger, frustration, and confusion as to why these things are happening. As law enforcement officers, we swore an oath to serve our communities with compassion, dignity, and respect. George Floyd was not afforded any of these rights. There is no place for abuse in our profession and police leaders must stand up and confront these failures.

As your Chief of Police, I want to assure you we do not tolerate the brutal and negligent behavior observed in the video by the Minneapolis officers which led to the death of George Floyd. We pride ourselves on being one of the most thoroughly trained police departments in the area. We train and emphasize the importance of using of de-escalation tactics to reduce the potential for confrontations that endanger law enforcement officers and community members. As stated in the 10 Shared Principles, we value the life of every person and consider life to be the highest value. This is one of the tenants of our policing philosophy.

We have worked hard for many years to build relationships and trust within our community. Incidents like this can tarnish the dedication and reputation we have worked so hard to build. I do not want the reckless and horrific actions of four Minneapolis police officers to define our profession and our department. I implore you to continue working with us to make O’Fallon a community we can all be proud of and call home.

Thank you for allowing us to serve you and please contact me if you have any questions.

City, Clergy Respond

O’Fallon Mayor Herb Roach said the city put together the 10 Shared Principles two years ago.

“We didn’t do it for show or political purposes, we did it because we thought this was the right thing to do,” he said. “This, along with the other things we do in our community, is what we stand for.”

On June 4, the mayor, police chief, two police captains and the city administrator met with four pastors, Nicholson and others.

“We discussed things for about an hour and a half. That is because we have established communications with our minority community,” Roach said.

Bishop Geoffrey Dudley Sr. of New Life in Christ Church said solidarity needed is not just in O’Fallon but in the broader community.

“It is not just how we roll in O’Fallon but also Collinsville, East St. Louis, all through the metro-east. We need to realize we are all God’s children — all of us,” he said. “To reject a human being is to reject the creator, because we’re all made in his image.”

The Rev. Jim Deiters, pastor of St. Clare of Assisi Church in O’Fallon, briefly attended the protest, then left to officiate a black Muslim funeral, then returned, just as a crowd finished their march down Lincoln and was chanting “Black Lives Matter!” in the parking lot.

“It’s so gratifying that we can witness and put on a peaceful rally here at our home. This warms my heart,” he said. “Pope Francis has reached out in his unifying global role.”

Deiters noted Sunday, the first time Catholic churches could reopen in the Belleville Diocese, was in honor of the Holy Trinity.

“We can celebrate God’s unifying message while dealing with these divisive issues in our country,” he said, “We have the pandemic, the political situation and the racial issues. We as Catholics need to help and heal us.”

Community Outrage

Jayme and Jake Erickson brought their son Oskar to the protest.

“Our whole society is crumbling. We need to see each other as human beings — all with the same justice and liberties. We all need to evolve,” Jake said.

Evelyn Werner, who attends University of Kansas and is a 2019 graduate of OTHS, said, “I felt very empowered in coming together as a community. It made me feel good, gave me new hope for building a society where everyone is loved and needed.”

Werner told her friend, co-organizer Donna Johnson, she was available to help this summer.

Theordore Baldwin III came back to the parking lot after walking down Lincoln with fellow protesters. His poster read: “50% black, 50% Tongan and 100% fed up.”

He said he was hopeful because the turnout seemed to indicate change could be on the horizon.

“Gotta keep fighting it,” Baldwin said.

This story was originally published June 9, 2020 at 10:20 AM.