Charlotte faith leaders hold ‘die-in’ to denounce police use of force on citizens

Interfaith clergy members held a “die-in” in front of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center on Monday to denounce the police use of force on citizens, including the use of chemical agents on protesters.

White clergy lay on their backs for eight minutes and 46 seconds while their black counterparts stood, holding signs reading “Am I next?”

The demonstration’s duration symbolized the length of time George Floyd’s neck was pinned to the ground by a Minneapolis police officer last month, resulting in his death. The death of Floyd, who was black, sparked protests across the country, seeking justice for the killings of black Americans at the hands of police.

The Rev. Glencie Rhedrick, a co-chair of Charlotte Clergy Coalition of Justice and organizer of the event, said this visualization was meant to show the community’s faith leaders’ dedication to the cause.

“As clergy, we all understand that when one dies, we all die,” Rhedrick, a minister at First Baptist Church-West, said. “To reflect the horror, the trauma, the sufferings, the dying and the anguish the black community experiences daily.”

The group, which includes clergy members of all faith traditions, also presented a set of demands for community leaders and the police department. Some of these include ending police use of tear gas, pepper spray and other chemical agents on peaceful protesters, following last Tuesday night, when CMPD deployed chemical agents on marchers who called it an “ambush.”

Similarly, the clergy called for an end to kettling — a police tactic to confine demonstrators in a small area — as well as other police reforms, including ending qualified immunity for police who shoot suspects and suspending officers after such shootings.

Rhedrick read the account of Floyd’s death while the clergy chanted, “I can’t breathe,” some of Floyd’s final words.

The Rev. Chester Brown, pastor of Mt. Moriah Primitive Baptist Church in Charlotte, said he felt an obligation as a religious and community leader to attend the demonstration and speak for those who can’t speak for themselves.

“There’s a cause,” Brown said. “There’s a need for our government to hear not only our voices, but theirs.”

This story was originally published June 8, 2020 at 2:06 PM.