This summer Sharon Washington helped organize a peaceful silent protest and march from Woodward Park to Library Park calling for an end to violence from police officers and against police officers.
And now the former Manteca High student is doing the same this weekend, but she’ll be taking the muzzle off on the march when it departs Woodward Park at 6:30 p.m. and heads down Main Street and Yosemite Avenue to Library Park.
Washington, who said she felt compelled to organize something in the vein of a Black Lives Matter protest but separate from the controversial network of activists of which she is not a part of, said that the groups that will be marching along the route this time will be chanting as they make their way to their destination for a brief rally like they did earlier this year without incident.
While she doesn’t anticipate any problems from her group, Washington said that she has again notified the Manteca Police Department so they will know what is going on, and hopes to have a contact like she did the last time in case any counter-protesters attempt to turn it into anything other than a peaceful gathering.
“We didn’t really have anything happen last time outside of a few people driving by that had some choice words,” Washington said. “And after we arrived, there was one person who was being loud and making comments, but after he heard what we had to say, he came up and said he agreed with most of it and wanted to learn a little bit more.
“That’s what we’re hoping for – that people will come up and ask us questions so we can talk about the issues and come to a common understanding.”
But things have changed since Washington and her core group of several dozen people made their march to Library Park in groups of nine – careful to follow the advice of the Manteca Police Department and not march in a single group, which would require a permit for their silent protest.
Since then, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has opted to take a knee during the National Anthem because of what he sees as police brutality and persecution of minorities across the country.
That stance has riled people, and the response, Washington said, pains her to watch.
“To me it hurts, because I can see where people are mad at Kaepernick because they think he’s disrespecting the flag, but I think that the thing people need to realize is that as minorities we have a different history with the flag and the police,” she said. “People see things differently because they’re going off of what they know, and they don’t try to realize what’s he standing for or not standing for in this case.
“Here I am screaming that my life matters also, and people are telling me but. There should be no but after that.”
Washington said she’ll follow the same format that the group did the last time – walking in groups of nine, and notifying an off-site person of any violence or threat of violence along with notifying the Manteca Police Department immediately – and hopes that the group doesn’t encounter any problems.
She said that a Native American organization has also been in contact to bless the marchers before they leave, and ceremonially lead them with a ritual that will thwart negativity.
“This is really about promoting non-violence across the board, and I want people to realize that,” she said. “Yes, there’s a message here but it’s also a chance for people to come together for a common goal.”