Kalamazoo County buildings close after sheriff's office gets tip of unspecified threats
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office said Monday it had received a tip that a group from outside the Kalamazoo area could possibly come into the city.
In response, the sheriff’s office recommended that Kalamazoo County close its buildings and offices early and send all workers home. Kalamazoo County Undersheriff Jim VanDyken said deputies would not get in the way of the peaceful protesters.
By late afternoon, work crews were boarding up the windows of county buildings.
Protests were scheduled in Kalamazoo at Bronson Park, Kalamazoo County Courthouse and a parking lot at 700 North Park starting at 6 p.m. June 1, 2020. Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety said the First Amendment rights of the protesters would be protected.
In Grand Rapids, the National Guard had blocked off a number of downtown streets by 4 p.m. A large number of city police officers were also patrolling the area.
Snow plows were used to block off a number of city streets. National guardsmen were wearing riot gear.
A Grand Rapids Police Department spokesman said the event was not permitted, which is why department leaders deployed the large number of officers near the demonstrations. The spokesman said department leaders also could not reach organizers of the demonstration.
During the early afternoon, a number of speakers addressed a crowed at the corner of Ionia Avenue and Fulton Street, talking about injustices they believe are occurring in the United States.
Demonstrators also asked the guardsmen and city police offers to march with them.
Police in Kalamazoo and Battle Creek prepared for the possibility of more protests in West Michigan after a weekend of demonstrations.
Battle Creek Police Chief Jim Blocker said he was pleased with how things turned out, a similar message spreading throughout the country - minus looting and violence in many large cities.
The protest on the streets of Battle Creek over the weekend was peaceful. Blocker said there wasn’t a single arrest, and that makes him proud.
“One, it says a lot about our relationship. It always has room for improvement. But I think it also speaks to the empathy that perhaps we have for one another,” Blocker said.
Blocker expected Battle Creek to remain calm.
A similar scene Saturday in Kalamazoo.
Protesters on the streets, honoring George Floyd, who died in police custody in Minneapolis.
At one point, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety had officers in riot gear enter the crowd before quickly retreating.
Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Chief Karianne Thomas has not responded to calls or messages about why police went in at all, when it seemed to be a peaceful protest.
Kalamazoo NAACP President Wendy Fields said she believes, while not perfect, that the Kalamazoo police handled the protests well and feels they have sent the right message.
“I think that overall they did a good job. I appreciate the fact that they were honest and didn’t try to sugarcoat it,” Fields said.
She took part in a livestream discussion of the demonstrations, and violence throughout the country.
The panel shared a unified message.
“We definitely don’t want violence, vandalism, and looting in our communities,” Pastor Addis Moore said.
