The May 7 Hamilton County grand jury decision to charge Roach with two misdemeanor offenses rather than for Thomas’s death only increased anger among many working people. A May festival called "Jammin on Main" was canceled in face of the protests that have taken place virtually every week in downtown Cincinnati.

On May 26, hundreds of protesters against police violence, pressing for a boycott of the city’s "Taste of Cincinnati" food and music festival, booed soul singer James Brown when he appeared on the stage to open the downtown commercial event. Brown left after speaking briefly, and did not perform. He was the third rhythm and blues act booked after the first two--the Isley Brothers and Midnight Star--canceled in response to a call by protesters to boycott the festival.

In a disciplined formation marshaled by members of the Cincinnati Black United Front, about 200 protesters later marched through the Taste of Cincinnati crowd for about two hours, despite the rain. They leafleted fair-goers and chanted, "We’re not going away" and "No justice, no peace, no racist police." Scores of police stationed throughout the festival did not intervene to stop the march.

After the demonstration, marchers assembled at a local church to rest, share a meal, and discuss what they had accomplished. Wanda Sloan, expressing the mood of many of the protesters, said in an interview, "We’re not slaves anymore. They’re trying to sweep this killing under the rug. They won’t succeed." Victoria Straughn agreed: "You can’t continue to repress people and not expect them to fight back. Something is grossly wrong in this city. Now is the time to shine a light on it."

Derrick Blassingame, a veteran of weeks of protests, pointed out: "At my high school, Frederick Douglass, the principal doesn’t like what we’re doing. But this is too important to stop. We need to get the word out. Come and join the struggle. This is not a local, but a national and international struggle."

In the last week the call for a June 2 "March for Justice" in Cincinnati demanding "Stop police killings and the abuse of police power" has drawn more support. Projected speakers include Angela Leisure, the mother of Timothy Thomas; Rev. Damon Lynch III of the Cincinnati Black United Front; Farm Labor Organizing Committee president Baldemar Velásquez; former Ohio governor John Gilligan; and Rev. J. W. Jones, first vice president of the Baptist Ministers Conference.

The march assembles at Fountain Square (5th Street and Vine) at 11 a.m. in downtown Cincinnati. Information on the action is available on the website for the march at www.Cincymarch.org, or call 513-588-8883.

Chris Hoeppner is a meat packer and member of the United Food and Commercial Workers union. Ellen Berman, a member of the United Auto Workers, contributed to this article.  
 
 
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