The march began Wednesday, June 3 with a rally at 12:00 noon at the north end of the Kingsdale Shopping Center in Upper Arlington, a six-minute walk north of where I live. At about 12:40 p.m., following the rally [that had included several speakers], the group of thousands marched, on the streets, through several neighborhoods of Upper Arlington [including a section of the historic "Old Arlington" neighborhood south of Lane Ave.] and eventually returned to the Kingsdale Shopping Center.

 

Photos by Tom Over

The union representing the Columbus Division of Police (CPD) told the Free Press they are willing to negotiate for a civilian review board when negotiations for the next police union contract begin at the end of this year. However Janet Jackson, Chair of the Mayor's Community Safety Advisory Commission, told the Free Press she is concerned about how much opposition the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) brings to table when they negotiate what authority the civilian review board will have.

What the FOP Capital City Lodge #9 President Keith Farrell to this day is still shaking his head over, however, is the city had a chance to negotiate for a civilian review board three years ago.

“The city and the mayor had a chance three years ago to bring this to the table, but for whatever reason they did not,” Ferrell said. “We wanted to talk about it. We wanted them to bring this to the table. I was saying, ‘Let’s talk about it.’ The city had that opportunity. I honestly do not know why they didn’t.”

Now that Trump is sending actual troops into our streets, the shape of his planned coup d’état is becoming ever clearer.

A critical piece will be an outright armed assault on the polling places during this fall’s election.

Trump’s GOP has already raised $20 million for anti-democracy lawsuits. While claiming the fall election will be “rigged,” Trump’s minions say they’ll raise a 50,000-strong vigilante army to terrorize “suspicious” (i.e., young, non-white, non-millionaire) voters at the polls.

Here’s the premise: 

On November 3, thousands of KKK/Gestapo-style “Trump volunteers” will swarm over the usual long lines in critical swing state/minority-heavy precincts. We’ve seen their neo-Nazi ilk in Charlottesville, among the Proud Boys, etc.

Many will be armed and dressed in military garb. Lacking legal credentials, but likely at gunpoint, they’ll demand ID and other “proof” of voter qualifications. 

Their purpose will be to drive away potential anti-Trump voters and turn the election into chaos.

Thursday, June 4, at 4pm
North Broadway and High Streets
George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis Police on May 25, 2020. While being suffocated by an officer during a deadly arrest, he gasped out for his “mama”.
George Floyd is one of many Americans who lost their lives to police violence in our country and in our city. As mothers, we can only imagine the excruciating pain of loosing a child to police violence. On behalf of parents who lost their children and those children, we mourn with you and we gather in protest against the violent and racist police system that lead to their deaths.
Show your support at a peaceful children-friendly protest, brings signs for support of BLACK LIVES MATTER, wear a mask, bring drinking water, maintain social distance.