Black Lives Matter protest marches to steps of Moscow City Hall

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The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement inspired a third protest in Moscow Saturday.

A small candlelight vigil on the steps of city hall featured flower bouquets, tea lights and photographs of Black people who died at the hands of police officers. Two poster boards with victims’ faces looked over Washington Street, surrounded by flowers and candles.  

Protestors left this vigil after an eight-minute-46-second-long moment of silence, the amount of time Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin held his knee against George Floyd’s neck.

“I was upset with this because it’s not the first time, and it’s just like Ferguson all over again,” Gregory Douglas, a Moscow resident said.  

Douglas said he wanted to show support and help give a voice to those who had passed. 

“It needs to be more about having these uncomfortable conversations with people to get them to understand that this moment for me is kind of fighting for fundamental human rights,” Douglas said. 

The event, called the Justice and Solidarity Protest and March on City Hall: Moscow, began at 1 p.m.  

Participants of the protest met at the Rosauers Supermarket parking lot, marched along Main and Washington Streets and  finished at Moscow City Hall.  

The event was organized by Rob Tarver, a local social worker, who said he hoped for the event to be his contribution to the beginning of change in Moscow.  

“As a social worker I’m supposed to believe in social justice, but I’ve never practiced it, to be honest,” Tarver said. “It’s not because I haven’t wanted to. It’s because I’ve just never taken the initiative to do so. Moscow needs to change. Everywhere needs to change. I kind of want this to be the ignition switch.” 

Nearly 70 people donned raincoats and umbrellas while they chanted and marched at the protest’s peak. Tarver said just over 50 people had responded “going” to the Facebook event. 

Almost all the protesters wore masks and Tarver provided masks to those who did not have them. 

There was no consistent police presence at the protest. Tarver said the city had been notified of the event, but he did not receive a permit from them. According to the Facebook event page, Tarver did receive a message from the city acknowledging the protest was going to happen. 

“I attempted multiple contacts with the city to get a permit and it didn’t happen,” Tarver said. 

While standing in front of city hall, many protesters were given turns with a microphone to speak about the BLM movement, how they were involved or how they wanted to help. 

Annarose Qualls, a Moscow resident and University of Idaho graduate, said she came out to support others. 

“There are people in my life who I love that are Black, who are people of color,” Qualls said. “I want them to be able to live in a nation where they feel as safe as I do.” 

Qualls also participated because of her faith.  

“I believe in the beginning of time God has had a heart for the marginalized. I follow Jesus and I see in his life and in his words that Jesus stuck up for the marginalized. He defended, supported and loved women, the sick, (those) who were outcasts, people of other ethnic groups that were also looked down on,” Qualls said.  

Both Douglas and Qualls said they wanted the conversations they started to continue.  

“The war on racism is a marathon, not a sprint,” Douglas said. “I like people to keep this in their mind long term, and especially young people to help strategize and think up ways of being more effective. Not just on the streets, but we want to think about laws and policies.” 

Anteia McCollum can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @antxiam5 | Kali Nelson can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @kelinelson6