Murfreesboro Post
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From the Murfreesboro vigil participants




Wendy Evans and Michael Groustra sit on the sidewalk waiting for the May 31 vigil to start. JASON M. REYNOLDS

Wendy Evans and Michael Groustra sit on the sidewalk waiting for the May 31 vigil to start. JASON M. REYNOLDS

The following are comments from participants in a protest/rally in Murfreesboro on May 31. These quotes express their viewpoints and may conflict with official records of what happened as well as social media videos. Statements have been abbreviated for space.

Wendy Evans and Michael Groustra:

Evans said her biracial daughters were there as well, and they were experiencing pain from George Floyd’s death. They have been crying and asking, “Am I next?”

Silent Vigil for George Floyd organizer Mike McDougal:

“My motivation to start the vigil came as an idea between my wife and I. We couldn’t attend the Nashville rally due to work and instead of waiting for someone to organize something for Murfreesboro, we said we’d show up on Sunday to show our support for the black community. I got a friend involved who shared it in a couple of different groups and in under 48 hours, 2-3 people became 800-plus. The vigil couldn’t have gone any smoother as I see it. Everyone came together in solidarity to stand up for injustice and the loss of innocent black lives at the hands of a corrupt system. We prayed, we marched, we chanted, we hugged, we held hands. It was a beautiful display of the love the Murfreesboro has to offer and to show what we’re capable of when we come together as one.”

Kim McKaig makes references to Ephesians 6 with her outfit. JASON M. REYNOLDS

Kim McKaig makes references to Ephesians 6 with her outfit. JASON M. REYNOLDS

Noelle Bivens:

The march down Main Street toward Middle Tennessee State University was peaceful. No police said anything about demonstrators marching down the road. Demonstrators held a sit-in at the intersection of Main Street and Middle Tennessee Boulevard. An armored police vehicle came up. An officer gave one warning, then immediately gave a second warning, but while he was giving the warning, he threw a tear gas canister. There were children in the crowd. She said demonstrators were protesting this type of police response, and they were validated.

Kirquitta Miller:

She said the protesters who blocked the intersection left a way for cars to turn or continue going straight through. They had sat down but were standing when police arrived. She also said police did not give much warning before using tear gas. She said she questioned why the downtown businesses boarded up stores. “What do we want from those stores,” she said. “It shows they’re not on our side. Murfreesboro is not a looting place.”

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