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| Intersection of Hewitt and Washtenaw. Photo Purple Walrus Press. |
I was just at the corner of Hewitt and Washtenaw. As I approached the intersection on foot I saw a large group of protesters in the intersection. Police were pulling up quickly to the scene. Minutes later the protesters began walking down Hewitt toward the EMU Convocation Center. More police and an ambulance were headed in that direction also.
I spoke to a witness who identified himself as Jr. He told me that minutes earlier the intersection was blocked with BLM protesters. He stated, and I'm paraphrasing, a woman in a car attempted to drive through the intersection and hit or bumped a female protester. Apparently protesters began pouring water on top of the woman's car. Jr reported that someone may have been chased down the street by a protester. This last bit of information from the witness is vague.
This is an ongoing situation.
UPDATE: A video of this incident was posted to YouTube late Tuesday by Michael Taylor.
Jeff Brown
Editor/Publisher
Purple Walrus Press
I was there. A lady driving a car kept tapping a couple of female protesters with her car. She just wouldn't stop. She hit them and they jumped out of the way. The lady sped up and hit a guy on a motorcycle. His bike fell over, but he was able to jump out of the way. Another man in a vehicle shouted, "get out of the way, n****" and tapped another protester with his car. Racism is alive and well in Ypsilanti.
ReplyDeleteThis just disgusts me, I can not fathom how people can be this way towards another human being! We are all the same, do they not understand stand that past the pigmentation we bleed the same red!
DeleteIt doesn't disgust you that people would block traffic? That could be a single mom thats running late to her second job just trying to provide for her family. These "protesters" are blocking her and make her late and get her fired. Great form of protest! Thats going to get a lot of people on your side!
DeleteThank you for sharing, Lily. I am so sorry that this is happening to you all. I am following the situation, trying to determine how I might be able to help.
DeleteWoods. Shut your useless trap.
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ReplyDeleteI don't know what this comment was but why isn't the comment below also deleted its little and big things like the comment below and the actions taken place that gave way to this whole article in the first place that cause these kind of "eruptions". Remember as children when we were scolded for being mean to another child our mothers would say "put your self in their shoes" please remember your mothers when it comes to The Black Lives Matter Movement And Just Blacks in America In General because until you can understand a tenth of what it means to be a Black Citizen of America you will never understand the reason behind the protest and the rally's and the civil disobedience I will never apologize for being black So comments like the formentioned are mean spirited racist in essence and part of the reason we get offended and angry don't be ignorant or blind to what happens just because it doesn't effect you personally or right now doesn't mean that it matters any less or that it Can't effect you at some point in some way!
DeleteGod created ALL people in his image, that includes you, me, and every other living person on Earth! He says to love one another as he does...God loves ALL of US!
DeleteGod created ALL people in his image, that includes you, me, and every other living person on Earth! He says to love one another as he does...God loves ALL of US!
DeleteNot to sound like a dick but if these people werent blocking the ROAD, they would not have been tapped by cars. While, these BLM people want their rights respected, what about these people who's right to travel without being harassed was not respected... just saying
ReplyDeleteIf the protesters had a permit, they are within their legal rights to be there.
DeleteIf they had a permit, it was either not for being in the middle of the road, OR, there would have been a detour set up...
DeleteI have been on many picket lines for the UAW and yes you have the right to picket entrances to parking lots but not block and stop traffic in the street, legally.. We had to keep walking and moving and if we did STOP moving and block in front of vehicles we were often arrested.. There are certain laws that need to be followed,, for the pickets protection as well as people in the vehicles.
DeleteProtesting is not a reason to be harmed. Ever. Unfortunately for protests to be successful, the group needs to make a point. Don't think you would say when mlk shut down streets his people deserved to be hurt, would you? Or would your point be "they were in white America protesting for rights they don't deserve. What did they expect?". That's how you sound right now.
DeleteI agree, protest but just don't block the damn road. How hard is this?
DeleteYea man, why don't these protesters just not inconvenience anybody while they protest? Maybe we can give them a little designated area where it's appropriate for them to protest so that my commute isn't disrupted.
DeleteI think she should have just mowed em all down! Fuck em right!? SHE HAD SOMEWHERE TO BE AND THATS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THEIR SAFETY. (if ya haven't quite gotten it yet, this comment and the last were sarcastic)
DeleteIf I'm not mistaken ,Isn't there a HOSPITAL on that road ? So They would be blocking access to a HOSPITAL. Wouldn't that trump their safety ?
DeleteSo, looking for excuses again? Hospital nearby. An ambulence can easily move a crowd, having lights and horns that indicate an emergency. Private individuals can easily communicate to people an emergency. You are attempting to say that the protesters have no intelligence and cannot modify their actions to meet an emergency and are unable to communicate with one another in a timely enough fashion to meet contingencies.
DeleteYou also appear to be justifying running someone over with an automobile. I really cannot fathom how you can be so naive as to present such a disingenuous argument as reasonable.
Their safety???? If they step onto washtenaw and stand there without "looking both ways before you cross" and make sure its clear but actually stand there? They are asking to get hit. Sorry get out of the busy ass road if you dont want to get hit.
DeleteNot to sound like an actual human, but if Black People had the right to life, they wouldn't need to mildly inconvenience your precious little schedules by blocking a road - something that I distinctly remember Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr doing in Selma.
DeleteStop killing Black People. Stop supporting institutions that kill Black People. Until then, expect disruptions in your traffic. Your precious little day got slightly interrupted. *snigger* You all need to get your priorities arranged properly.
This is the link to the video of it happening. It's not long, but it gets its point across. This is terrifying as far as I'm concerned and is a sign that the violence is getting closer to home. Stay safe out there. Everyone!
ReplyDeleteMy niece just sent me this video. This is happening in Ypsilanti right now. Traffic is a mess, stay away. Video credit to Michael Taylor
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=AeUL_vEClQk
Devyn, thank you for sharing. Yours is an important contribution.
DeleteIt's a shame that it has come to this here in this small town where everyone knows everyone.we are all equal people shame on whom ever spray painted the disgusting crap on emu god be with us all we all need to band together and keep the racism away we are all as one god bless everyone involved in this
ReplyDeleteWhether protestors had a permit to be in the intersection or not, no one in a 2000# car should "tap" a human being with their car EVER! That is dangerous, it is assault, and it should be prosecuted as such. I hope anyone who has video footage of this incident will turn it in to the Ypsi police for investigation!
ReplyDeleteShe should be arrested for attempted bodily harm with a weapon, a car can be a weapon when used to intentionally cause harm to a person, or persons!
DeleteWhether protestors had a permit to be in the intersection or not, no one in a 2000# car should "tap" a human being with their car EVER! That is dangerous, it is assault, and it should be prosecuted as such. I hope anyone who has video footage of this incident will turn it in to the Ypsi police for investigation!
ReplyDeleteNo one should stand in the middle of washtenaw unless they want to get hit by a car.
DeleteBam!
DeleteWoods, your eight layers are showing. You should probably stop embarrassing yourself now.
DeleteDont blame that lady at all. Get in front of my vehicle, surround it, start slapping and pouring stuff all over what i worked hard to have, and youll get run over too.
ReplyDeleteAnd i have black children, so save your racist and ignorant comments.
DeleteYou don't get it. We weren't doing any of those things until she started bumping people. She took it upon herself to try and Bogard her way through with no care in the world about who she hit.
DeleteYou don't get it. We weren't doing any of those things until she started bumping people. She took it upon herself to try and Bogard her way through with no care in the world about who she hit.
Deleteyou murderous nature and ill intent are noted. you would end up prosecuted and rightly so.
DeleteBogard her way through???? Its a ROAD...FOR CARS!!!! Get out of the ROAD and use the sidewalks! Roads are for cars and sidewalks are for people.
Delete"I have ___ friends/spouse/children/coworkers/random person whom I passed by whilst driving."
DeleteHow to Distinguish a Racist 101
Bria, props to you.
Dont blame that lady at all. Get in front of my vehicle, surround it, start slapping and pouring stuff all over what i worked hard to have, and youll get run over too.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I don't agree with his language I have to agree with his point! Blocking traffic is a terrible way to protest. But then again if someone didn't hit do this, then you would never get the press and no one would ever know that you protested becuase no one really cares. Go to work, take care of your kids, save your retirement and mind your business.
ReplyDeleteOh and if the cops point a gun at you don't walk away and reach into your car cause they will kill you.
Hi, unknown! Just to hand you a bit of free education: You're wrong, and your spittle makes you sound incredibly ignorant. Please stop embarrassing yourself.
ReplyDeleteI grew up going to Ypsilanti high in the late 70s. There was a lot of racism back then. I thought people were doing so much better these days about loving one another. Obviously not in Ypsi
ReplyDeleteI grew up going to Ypsilanti high in the late 70s. There was a lot of racism back then. I thought people were doing so much better these days about loving one another. Obviously not in Ypsi
ReplyDeleteYou impede my forward progress, surround my vehicle while demonstrating in the middle of the road and I'll run your ass over as well! At that point the safety of my family and myself are paramount!
ReplyDelete