Community Organizer: ‘Our Protests Are Not Peaceful’
The group Alabama Rally Against Injustice has hosted several demonstrations across the state in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd. Many of them have been in mostly-white suburbs, and they’ve drawn hundreds of protesters. One of the people behind these rallies is Celida Soto, a community organizer. She said leading rallies week after week is emotionally draining, but necessary for the movement.
The fiery Afro-Latina mother sees herself as a warrior, and a protector for her family, friends and community. Her passion for activism began 20 years ago. Soto is an advocacy coordinator for Alabama Arise, an organization fighting poverty.
She recently joined forces with Alabama Rally Against Injustice to protest racism and police brutality. The most emotional moments during the rallies, Soto said, have been the re-enactments of Floyd’s death.
During most rallies, Soto asks demonstrators to lie on the ground while imagining what Floyd went through. She said the simulation of that moment is important for all protesters, especially white allies.
“Empathy doesn’t come so easily for everyone,” she said. “We all walk in different levels of awareness and sometimes it’s important to kind of get in position, even though we will never really be in that state of fear, discomfort and ail.”
“I think simulating it, getting down on the ground even without a knee on your neck, helps people kind of feel a little bit closer to George and closer to the black experience,” she said. “That simulation was powerful because it gave people in general an opportunity to experience just a hint of what Mr. Floyd had gone through.”
It’s an extremely emotional experience. Some demonstrators cry, others are filled with rage. The rallies, she said, have never gotten out of hand. But Soto said that doesn’t mean they’re peaceful protests.
“That’s one of the first things I say, ‘our protests are not peaceful,'” Soto said. “No one is at peace, people are in a state of unrest, they’re very frustrated, they’re hurting.” She said just because capitalist structures are not being vandalized or destroyed, doesn’t mean that “our” people are peaceful.
Soto said her role is not to manage people’s emotions. Instead, she teaches protesters their rights in case there are run-ins with law enforcement. She trains them on what to do and what not to do to prevent police encounters from escalating.
She sees these rallies as teachable moments. They’re a platform to school demonstrators on decades-old policing policies, which Soto hopes to change.
Organizers of @AlabamaRally are demanding changes in law enforcement while gathering in Hoover this afternoon. The city was under fire in 2018 for the police killing of #EJBradford at the Riverchase Galleria. pic.twitter.com/p3nA8kPJdH
— Janae Pierre (@missjanaepierre) June 6, 2020
Soto said Alabama Rally Against Injustice is focusing efforts on one thing: policy.
“It has to be visceral,” she said. “It’s a multi-pronged approach. We’re still organizing demonstrations because the visibility of the unrest is critical for the movement. But then it’s also working with policy experts.” She said the group is beyond discussions. “We’ve had conversations with elected officials and law enforcement leaders for years now so we’re not going there anymore,” she said. “We’re sitting down for an actual plan and to draft a new policies.”
The group has had several requests to lead more demonstrations around the state. In the next few weeks, Soto and other organizers will head to St. Clair and Cullman counties — two places that have overwhelmingly white populations — to continue their rally against injustice.
Brigitte Bardot, sex goddess of cinema, has died
Legendary screen siren and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot has died at age 91. The alluring former model starred in numerous movies, often playing the highly sexualized love interest.
For Ukrainians, a nuclear missile museum is a bitter reminder of what the country gave up
The Museum of Strategic Missile Forces tells the story of how Ukraine dismantled its nuclear weapons arsenal after independence in 1991. Today many Ukrainians believe that decision to give up nukes was a mistake.
Jeffrey R. Holland, next in line to lead Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dies at 85
Jeffrey R. Holland led the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a key governing body. He was next in line to become the church's president.
Winter storm brings heavy snow and ice to busy holiday travel weekend
A powerful winter storm is impacting parts of the U.S. with major snowfall, ice, and below zero wind chills. The conditions are disrupting holiday travel and could last through next week.
Disability rights advocate Bob Kafka dead at 79
Bob Kafka was an organizer with ADAPT (American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today), a group which advocates for policy change to support people with disabilities.
‘It’s behind you!’ How Britain goes wild for pantomimes during the holidays
Pantomimes are plays based on a well-known story — often a fairy tale — which are given a bawdy twist. The audience is expected to join in throughout, shouting as loudly as they can.
