Organizers Staging Another Peaceful Protest This Saturday

A local group of community activists known as Advocates for Social Justice are busy planning and staging Peaceful Protest II this Saturday afternoon in Cedar Rapids.

The gathering is being billed as the second local demonstration here to draw awareness and support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Last Saturday, June 6, thousands of citizens converged in downtown Cedar Rapids in an emotionally powerful display of solidarity, community, and brotherhood to protest police brutality.

Unlike other area protests in Des Moines, Davenport and Iowa City, all the Cedar Rapids rallies have remained peaceful. That fact was especially comforting as Police Chief Wayne Jerman was one of several eloquent speakers at last week's event.  

After meeting with local officials earlier this week, the Advocates for Social Justice issued details of  the seven specific areas where they are seeking police reform:

1. Establishing a Citizen’s Review Board
2. Making significant investment in diversity, equity, and inclusion
3. Banning the use of choke holds and other lethal restraining techniques
4. Decriminalizing minor marijuana crimes and other lower-level offenses
5. Imposing strict body camera provisions.
6. Making negotiations between municipal management and police officers representatives public.
7. Abolishing Qualified Immunity.

The demonstration will take place at 5:00 p.m. this Saturday at Bever Park, 2700 Bever Ave. on the city's southeast side.  Hundreds of people have already expressed an interest in attending on the group's Facebook events page.

Organizers are hoping for good weather once again this weekend. The extended forecast for Saturday from the National Weather Service is calling for sunny skies with a high temperature of 74.