Greeley Black Lives Matter protesters call for lasting change at Saturday’s peaceful protest

Protestors raise their fists in the air as they honor George Floyd and other victims of police brutality during a protest Saturday at Lincoln Park in downtown Greeley. Photo by Joshua Polson.

By Kelly Ragan

When Tiana Cunningham came to the Black Lives Matter protest Saturday in Greeley, she came to fight for her life. She marched down the street holding a handmade cardboard sign reading, “Black Lives Matter,” shouting with hundreds of others that black lives matter. That her life matters.

Cunningham is a student at the University of Northern Colorado. She’s also a black woman. She’s lived in Greeley for about six years, she said, and she’s had plenty of encounters with racists.

“It’s inspirational to see people come together,” she said, “but we have a long way to go, and it’s about time we get there.”

At least 700 people turned out Saturday for “Greeley Unite in the Fight,” a protest calling for an end to racism and police brutality. It’s the third protest in Greeley after weeks of protests in Denver and across the nation. The protests were sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police officers May 25.

Priscilla Falcon, a professor at the University of Northern Colorado, speaks during a protest at Lincoln Park on Saturday in downtown Greeley. Photo by Joshua Polson.

On Saturday, protesters gathered at the University of Northern Colorado, marched down 11th Avenue and chanted before they arrived at Lincoln Park.

“No justice, no peace, stop the racist police.”

“Fund our schools, defund the police.”

“Say his name: George Floyd. Say her name: Breonna Taylor.”

Jessica Bridges, of Greeley, marched with a sign calling for Greeley city councilmember Kristin Zasada to resign.

Bridges said she wasn’t OK with the statements Zasada made on Facebook – especially Zasada’s reference to black-on-black crime.

“We need better local representation,” Bridges said. “I demand that Zasada resign immediately.”

A protestor leads chants with a megaphone on Saturday as they march to Lincoln Park in downtown Greeley. Photo by Joshua Polson.

As protesters marched, drivers raised their fists in the air and honked to show their support. A handful of folks heckled the protestors but get didn’t much of a reaction from them. One middle-aged man came out in his underwear to yell obscenities. . Another man yelled obscenities from his window.A small group of folks at Lincoln Park yelled “all lives matter.” Protest organizer and UNC Black Student Union President Joshua Greer had a response for them.

“All lives can’t matter until black lives matter,” Greer said.

Several speakers then shared their stories and called people to action.

Greeley-Evans School District 6 school board member Rhonda Solis took the stage. She brought attention to the elected officials she saw in the crowd, including Evans city councilmember Alicia Johnson and District 6 school board member Pepper Mueller.

Joshua Greer holds up his fist as he leads chants with the crowds during the protest at Lincoln Park in downtown Greeley. Photo by Joshua Polson.

Greeley city councilmember Tommy Butler was in the crowd as well.

Solis said that despite Greeley’s large Latino population, she is the only Latino on the school board. She encouraged people of color to run for local offices, including seats on the school board city council and various commissions.

“We cannot make change without good people in those offices,” Solis said.

Organizers encouraged folks to get registered and vote, reminding them that the primary election for local offices is June 30.

George Junne, a professor of Africana Studies at UNC, also spoke. He talked about some history of racial injustice and about some bright spots.

Protestors walk along the sidewalk and road as they march to Lincoln Park on Saturday in downtown Greeley. Photo by Joshua Polson.

Junne is the kind of person who’s always looking for bright spots. The NoCo Optimist also interviewed him before the protest.

“It’s an interesting time because there are records people can’t deny, such as George Floyd’s murder,” Junne told the NoCo Optimist in an interview. “In the past, there were excuses, like the guy or girl did something wrong. But now everyone has cell phones out.”

Colorado has room to improve on racism, he said.There are white nationalist groups, people are still prejudiced, and racist incidents are still happening on college campuses.

In 2018, stickers affiliated with the white supremacist group Identity Evropa appeared on UNC’s campus. Stickers also appeared in Loveland, according to the Coloradoan, and flyers from the group appeared at the Community College of Denver, according to the Denver Post.  

A sign reads fight back as protestors listen to speakers on Saturday at Lincoln Park in downtown Greeley. Photo by Joshua Polson.

A slew of racially charged incidents have happened to or involving students who attend Colorado State University in Fort Collins.

According to a report by the Fort Collins Coloradoan, a CSU football player was held at gunpoint Thursday by a Loveland man who thought he was a member of Antifa, an anti-facist political group. 

Recently, an incoming freshman posted racist and homophobic Snapchats, resulting in students calling for the person to be “barred from admission,” according to the Coloradoan.

Those are just the most recent incidents.

In 2019, four students wore blackface.

In 2019, a student complained about discrimination during her time as a CAM the Ram mascot escort.  

In 2018, a woman called police on two Native American men when they joined a campus tour late – garnering attention nationwide.

In February 2018, protesters turned out against a conservative speaker. Things turned violent when people chanting Nazi slogans stormed the crowd.

In 2017, a paper noose was found in a residence hall.

Protestors march past a sign marking the ballot drop-off location on Saturday in downtown Greeley. Photo by Joshua Polson.

But true to his nature, Junne looks for the good.

“Looking over the years, it’s not as bad as it was,” Junne said. “But there’s still room to grow.”

Junne teaches several multicultural classes at the university.

He’ll often ask his students if they’ve ever taken a multicultural or an ethnic studies class before. Most of them haven’t, he said.

“The first time they get any history and background is when they come to our classes – if they take our classes,” Junne said.

Some schools are working to change that, Junne said. He’s been called out to give talks to elementary schools, middle schools and high schools around Greeley and Denver, especially during Black History Month.

Hundreds of protestors march along 11th Avenue as they march to Lincoln Park on Saturday in downtown Greeley. Photo by Joshua Polson.

“The fact is there is worldwide interest right now in George Floyd’s death,” Junne said. “In countries all of the world, people are really upset about it. The United States has this whole idea of freedom and equality but look at what happens – it’s an embarrassing position right now.”

Greer spoke too, calling on white people to use their privilege to help make black voices heard and to hold people accountable for their actions.

The accountability aspect matters, he said.

“Why is it that good police officers aren’t holding bad police officers accountable?” Greer asked the crowd.

After the speakers at the protest wrapped up, organizers lead people into a moment of silence stretching for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. That’s how long an officer kneeled on Floyd’s neck as other officers watched.