Over 1,000 people gather to celebrate Juneteenth and demand changes to policing in the city of Duluth.
Marchers started joint marches at the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial and at Bayfront Park with speeches, and marched with a coordinated arrival at City Hall for music and additional speakers. Participants were encouraged by Black community leaders to sign petitions asking for changes to the local police force, and to continue to work for justice for people like Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Tony McDade, through the abolition of policing in our communities. Police were present in small numbers throughout the march routes, and stayed away from the final gathering space at City Hall. They were in simple uniforms, with no riot gear equipment in sight.
Impact: It is clear that numbers alone are not what determines police presence. What made police decide to not have a show of force at this march, vs at other incidents? Was it knowledge that there would be a public relations problem if the large crowd saw them showing up in the way they do for smaller protests led by BIPOC youth?