Peaceful protest in Walla Walla on Sunday calls for justice for George Floyd

WALLA WALLA-The announcement for the protest was seen on a Facebook post, listing the 1 p.m. time, the Land Title Plaza as the place, with the words 'Peaceful Protest' as the title. The post also featured an image of George Floyd's face and the words "I Can't Breathe." George Floyd's death on Memorial Day in Minneapolis, under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, sparked other protests across the country, in Europe, and beyond.

The idea for the event came to social media specialist Lindsey Luna of Walla Walla after she saw a lone young woman sitting in Land Title Plaza on Friday with a sign protesting police violence. Luna asked to sit with her and did so in solidarity for an hour.

On Saturday, Luna began sending an image to her contacts about assembling at the Plaza on Sunday, May 31 at 1 p.m.

"I am doing this for my father, he is afro-Latino from the Dominican Republic and I watched as he experienced racism his entire life." Luna is bi-racial.

A few rumors circulated before the event and Luna said she was aware of some of the threats, but that they did not deter her from assembling. She said she did not speak directly to the police who were in attendance but noted their polite presence at the corner of Colville and Main, at Spokane and Main and elsewhere.

Despite the threats, hundreds of people young and old calmly protested on Sunday carrying signs and chanting the names of those lost to police violence. Much like past demonstrations held in the city, this one was peaceful and respectful. There was no real presence of counter-protestors or people trying to disrupt the protest.

Luna said she used her time at the protest to encourage mask use and proper social distancing.

Leah Sandven, a Walla Walla business-owner and mother of four, attended the protest with her husband Dr. Tor Sandven, her father-in-law Lars Sandven, and her oldest son, also Lars, who is 11 and will start the 6th grade this fall. She left her three younger children, ages nine, seven and four, at home with their grandmother.

"We went because we decided that staying silent was more detrimental than speaking out," she said. When asked if she was nervous about attending, she said "well, there had been some rumors that maybe it wasn't an actual protest -that it was a set up by people trying to make trouble. I didn't want to be intimidated, that's what black people face every day, and we decided that we could be brave just for one day, for them."

Powerful moments at the rally included moments of silence while all in attendance took a knee in honor of the lives lost. Some members of the crowd were openly weeping, adding a plaintive sound to the gathering. Passersby in vehicles honked in solidarity and showed raised fists through the windows of their vehicles.

Luna has plans to organize a rally this coming Sunday and is currently looking for a space to gather. She hopes to include musicians, speakers, poetry and more with a focus on education, encouragement and change. While she is part of no established organization, with her media skills and passion she has already proven that she can mobilize the energies of Walla Walla area residents who want to stand for racial justice. Luna can be reached at blacklivesmatterwallawalla@gmail.com.