E-Photo by Mike Powers
E-Photo by Mike Powers
E-Photo by Mike Powers |
| |
Sarah Sell
Created: 8/4/2007 4:13:46 PM
Updated: 8/4/2007 6:41:56 PM
Protestors clashed with White Supremists at a rally held in Kalamazoo. But, thanks to a heavy police presence, it ended peacefully.
The Kalamazoo Public Safety Department says it learned from other cities like Toledo, Ohio, where riots broke out in 2005. That when a Neo-Nazi group clashed with neighbors in a predominately black neighborhood.
Kalamazoo Public Safety Department Captain Joseph Taylor says, "We've learned, as did Toledo from their experience. Lansing had a similar police presence."
In Kalamazoo, the rally was held in the parking lot of the Public Safety Department. The White Supremist group was led by talk show host Hal Turner. The group says the demonstration is in response to recent assaults in the city. The group called them hate crimes.
"Several of them were Minorities assaulting Caucasians, it
was a mix. They've taken that and blown it into being a racist, ethnic intimidation case, which we have no evidence of", says Capt. Taylor.
Dan Hill, a White Supremist who was not part of the group holding the event says, "We're just here to support the message that Kalamazoo, the city, and police force have to put a stop to these hate crimes."
One of the protestors, Walter Jones says, "I went to Vietnam. I got shot three times. Then I'm going to let these guys come into town. Nah, it's not right."
The White Supremist group finished their rally and left the city without any major problems.
The City of Kalamazoo says it does not support the message the group was trying to send, but they did have to issue the group a permit based on the First Amendment. The Right to Assemble and The Freedom of Speech. |