DENVER — While there may have been a message in the madness on Saturday night in downtown Denver, several Black community leaders speak out against random acts of violence and destruction under the guise of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The city hasn't given an estimate to repair the damages, but fires were set, windows broken, paint thrown and fireworks launched at officers Saturday night.
"I'm not sure what they call themselves," said John Bailey, the program coordinator with the Colorado Black Round Table. "But, their specific and particular actions are not the actions of folks who are concerned about Black lives or Black minds."
Bailey encourages protests — folks making their voices heard — and he too is a proponent of police and policy reform in Denver. But for Bailey, this weekend's "gathering" didn't feel productive.
"Those persons who were there destroying property were not about Black Lives Matter and Black Minds Matter. And if they were, they were confused and somebody needs to lead them in a different direction," said Bailey.
"We're not angry, we just don't want the message to be lost," said Sondra Young, the president of the Denver chapter of the NAACP.
"We're not saying because they're tearing down stuff that they should be beaten or have tear gas brought in their faces. But we do want to make sure that the Black Lives Matters movement does remain credible in our communities," she said.
Young agreed that Saturday's destruction was not how she protests for community change, but she also defended the people's right to protest, no matter the cause.
"Every voice is not going to agree with you," said Young. "So officials have to be open to, how do we listen? And, how do we make change so that people don't feel like they have to riot, or have to protest, or have to loot?"
No civilian injuries were reported from Saturday's demonstration where 12 men and women were arrested. All but two were released as of Monday. Denver Police Department (DPD) reported one officer suffered a concussion and third-degree burns.
DPD Chief Paul Pazen said Sunday that officers did utilize less lethal munitions in accordance with the department's policy to maintain safety and prevent damage and destruction Saturday night.
"At the end of the day, we need reform," Young said.
Both Bailey and Young agreed - there are legitimate frustrations in the community. Change, they said, does need to happen in Denver and across the country.
They may not condone the random violence of last weekend, but they aren't letting DPD off the hook, either.
"There's no looting when things aren't done to make people loot," Young said.
"What we'd rather do is say, 'We don't like the way he brought the message forward, so we don't like the message,' that's unfair," Bailey echoed. "The message might be enlightened. The message may cause you to want to make a difference," he said. "Don't get mad at the messenger. Listen to the message."
Young said it's time to figure out how to work together toward real progress.
"I think before we even start talking about throwing people in jail, we need to start talking about solutions. We need to be solution-based. What's the next step to get us from here to there? Because we're fighting for a purpose," said Young. "I just want people who are being destructive to really be able to say that they're fighting for a purpose."
Black community leaders including Bailey and Young are asking to have on-going, consistent meetings between themselves and Denver public safety leaders, like the chief of police, the Denver Sheriff and the District Attorney.
They are hopeful that regular meetings will provide a productive space to talk about public safety challenges and how police can better engage with the community.
"Let's move forward," Bailey said. "Let's bring everybody together to the table. Let's bring the community organizations and the public safety leaders together. Let's talk about what the problems are and what the issues are. Let's be authentic with each other."
All concerned citizens are invited to join the community meeting on "Public Safety in the Black Community," Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 4 p.m.
To join the Zoom meeting Wednesday, CLICK HERE (Meeting ID: 835 8717 6059, Passcode: 122229).
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