Hundreds march peacefully through Hamilton in protest: What happened Sunday

About 350 people walked on High Street sidewalks about eight blocks from the 900 block of High Street to the Butler County Courthouse.

They then walked around the courthouse block seven times, as the Israelites did in the Bible on the seventh day of walking around the city of Jericho.

Aisia Chandler, 44, of Fairfield, who is black, said it was her first protest, and she went “because it’s a peaceful one that is a great cause, and it’s a church-led protest.”

She appreciated Davis’ comments about black people not being listened to enough.

“I think it was a powerful statement,” Chandler said. “I think it’s necessary. I think that was a stance that should have been taken a long time ago, before all of this happened.”

Floyd, who died in Minneapolis after police handcuffed him, put him face down on the street pavement and an officer knelt on his neck for almost eight minutes. Floyd said he could not breathe.

Chandler said she attended Sunday’s protest because, “this death, unlike the others — all the deaths are wrong — but this one, the way it was done, the brutality, the seven minutes on someone’s neck,” Chandler said. “I say someone, not a black man, but anyone, it’s the worst type of inhumane thing that I’ve ever seen on Facebook or life.”

Marchers gathered outside 918 High St. because that’s the location of Davis’ The Fringe Coffee House, which will employ only ex-felons and may open in September. His church, The Fringe Church, is currently gathering Sundays and Wednesdays at ArtSpace, 220 High St.

“Why did we choose to do this on a Sunday? Why did we choose to cancel our church service?” Davis told the crowd. “Because we refuse to step over people’s bodies on the way to church,” he said.

Speaking to the crowd from the courthouse gazebo after the march, Davis apologized on behalf of churches for seldom speaking out against racist acts.

“Forgive us for our silence,” he said.

Unlike demonstrations elsewhere that have been violent Hamilton’s was calm, and everybody seemed to be in a peaceful, but resolute, mood.

“This is a peaceful, non-violent march and protest,” Davis cautioned before the march began. “I’m speaking for myself and some of my friends: Some of us grew up in the ‘hood, OK? We see you getting out of pocket, trying to take away from the meaning of this thing, hey, it’s not going to be good, man. I’m just going to say that. It’s all love, but don’t try to subvert this man’s memory.”

Jeff Jones, 38, of Hamilton, who is black, found it meaningful that so many white people showed up, “because to me, it says, ‘We’re actually going to speak up. We’re not just going to put an Instagram post or a Facebook post, but we’re actually going to act.”

“I think the white community showing up just is a first step in action, and speaking out for injustice,” Jones said, adding he was proud of Hamilton for its protest.

Ryalee Turner, 15, a Hamilton High School student, attended with three others, one from Hamilton and two from Middletown.

“We decided to make posters last night because we think justice needs to happen,” Turner said. “It’s getting to a point where it’s just getting too much.”

She and her friends went Sunday because Floyd “told them he could not breathe, and they did not get off him,” she said.

Hamilton Police Chief Craig Bucheit was present in street clothes, and said, “I think the size speaks for itself. There’s hundreds of people out here, families, people from all corners of the community, and I think it’s great.”

Ironically, Sunday’s only mention of violence came when Davis warned against violence or criminal acts.

Signs at Hamilton’s March

Here were some of the many signs and homemade T-shirts that were displayed during Sunday’s march in Hamilton: