PROTESTS BY UP to 200 people on the streets of Marquette and in front of the Police Department over the last few days. Denunciations of the police by some in the crowd, even some harassment of the police by a protestor or two.
Marquette city Police Chief Blake Rieboldt isn’t upset.
“It’s their right to protest,” he says. “We’re as outraged by what happened (in Minneapolis) as they are.”
But what about the criticism of the local police? Is that fair? Why a protest at the Marquette Police Department?
“It’s just easier to make their point in front of a police department,” Rieboldt says. “We get it. We’ve got no problem with it.”
He concedes that a few of the demonstrators may have gotten a little “rambunctious” as he put it, over the weekend, but he said it was clear that the protestors were doing their best to police themselves and keep the demonstration in line. As for the police, he says, they’re trying to avoid encounters with the protestors.
They are keeping an eye on the demonstrators as they move from street to street, but they’re not providing an escort.
Final question for Rieboldt: Have Marquette Police been charged with brutality in recent years?
Rieboldt: “Sometimes force is called for and we’ll use force but we’ll do it appropriately using the proper methods. We take great pride in how we deal with the citizens in this town.”
For now, no controversy here. An energized and outraged group of mostly white, mostly young protestors making their voices heard…and a small town police department hearing their protests–maybe even agreeing with them–while continuing to do their jobs.