Small protests, loud voices calling for equal justice

While the spotlight shines on large Black Lives Matter demonstrations across the country, smaller protests are also finding their niche.

Two of them took place Friday evening in the Northwest suburbs, one across the street from the Rolling Meadows police station and another in front of Congregational United Church of Christ in Arlington Heights. Each attracted around 10 people.

The group in Rolling Meadows was organized on social media by area resident A.J. Jurek.

One of the protesters in Rolling Meadows, Kay Hollister, who lives down the street from the police station, was carrying a sign that called for defunding police.

She said she supports a "community-based solution. Stop funding police and start funding education."

She said, "Stopping the school-to-prison pipeline is one of my main issues, especially having a child now."

Another protester, Arlington Heights resident Sue Walton praised Rolling Meadows police. But she said, "What most people object to, and I object to, is the militarization of the police department."

Passing motorists honked their horns in support of the protesters, and one even pulled over and thanked them. Other motorists expressed their support of police.

The group in Arlington Heights, which represents seven area churches, has been gathering and standing up for equal justice on Fridays since June.

Roxane Summer of Rolling Meadows sat on a chair on a grassy area and clutched a sign bearing the names Rayshard Brooks, George Floyd and Eric Garner with the motto, "... AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!"

Emily Snowden, pastor of Congregational United Church of Christ, said she is concerned with "systemic racism. It was a virus long before the coronavirus became a pandemic and has resulted in the killing of Black people across this country at the hands of primarily cops, but not solely, since systemic racism is in all of our systems."

She said her goal is "equity in our school systems, in our financial systems, in our churches."