NC cities hit by police violence around protests could learn from the peace in Durham
On a recent night, Fred, my former Gary, Ind., housemate, called to ask what was happening in Durham. He seemed dismayed that there weren’t violent protests here, that the city wasn’t aflame.
He was channel-surfing, watching pockets of certain cities explode in paroxysms of pent-up rage after Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd while putting the full weight of his body and, he thought, the law on Floyd’s neck.
The day after receiving the call from Fred, I made a weird call to Durham’s mayor.
Me: Hello, Mayor Schewel, how come there weren’t any violent uprisings in Durham?
Mayor Steve Schewel paused a moment. “I don’t want to jinx it,” he said, “so I’ll say ‘so far.’”
Schewel attributed the thus-far peaceful demonstrations to Durham’s diversity and “the leadership of the protesters.”
Diversity has long been regarded as Durham’s greatest strength, especially among its residents. It remains the only city I’ve ever known where white residents routinely have “Black Lives Matter” signs in their yards.
In Raleigh, where property damage has been substantially greater than in Durham, police chief Cassandra Deck-Brown drew the ire of protesters recently by insisting to protesters that “all lives matter.”
(As far as I can tell, Chief, nobody’s ever disputed that: it’s the value of the black and brown ones that some people seem to have a problem with.)
“The other super important thing” in keeping the peace, Schewel said, “has been the philosophy and practices of our police force. They have been non-confrontational and supportive of free speech and the right to assemble.”
Lest anyone conclude that all of North Carolina’s cop shops are ready to take a knee – not on someone’s neck, that is – and join with protesters singing “Kum-ba-ya,” allow me to quote the late Gershwin brothers, Ira and George: “It ain’t necessarily so.”
Charlotte’s top cop was calling for an investigation after his officers were accused of bombarding boxed-in protesters with tear gas and other chemical agents.
Chief Kerr Putney said later that “There is nothing to indicate whatsoever that there was intentional abuse on the part of our officers.” and that he is asking the SBI to investigate “to determine if CMPD actions were lawful.”
Lawful or not, U.S. Rep. Alma Adams is calling for police to cool it with the tear gas. In a speech at the Harvey B. Gantt Center in Charlotte, Adams, who represents the 12th District, said “First of all, we are a civilized nation... These are chemicals that, in my opinion, don’t need to be on the streets of America. These are wartime things, and we’re not in wartime.”
In Asheville – yes, artsy, laidback Asheville – the mayor is demanding an explanation after 10 rampaging cops were seen destroying a medical aid station set up for protesters. At least they were only smashing food, water bottles and medical supplies and not heads.
Not even little bitty Rockingham was immune to protests: About two dozen people marched last Sunday to show their support for Floyd, and police blocked traffic so they could proceed safely.
Police major E.W. Grant told one of the marchers “We feel the same way you do.”
This story was originally published June 8, 2020 at 12:00 AM with the headline "NC cities hit by police violence around protests could learn from the peace in Durham."