Santa Rosa protesters support Black Lives Matter, progressive causes

More than 100 people rallied in Old Courthouse Square on Saturday in support of progressive causes, the latest in the string of protests that have occurred since the death of George Floyd while he was being arrested by a Minneapolis police officer four months ago.

There were the signs that read “Black Lives Matter” as well as others that called for defunding the police and the event featured an array of speakers across the spectrum, such as ones from the Party for Socialism and Liberation who charged there was no difference between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

But for some, the event was a chance to reaffirm their commitment to the cause even as the immediacy of the protests and rallies over the summer has faded while Election Day looms in about a month.

“I felt the need to come to represent our people,” said Ashley Bertrand, a Black mom who noted that it was important to her to show up as as Sonoma County only has a Black population of 2%.

“I’m a mother and I worry about her future and what kind of world she has to live in,” Bertrand said of her almost 1-year-old daughter.

She said she uses the rallies to help her network with other local people for causes she is passionate about.

Calvin Benson, a Black trans man who grew up in Sonoma County but now lives in the Atlanta area, spoke at the rally and noted while the region is progressive politically, citizens could do more to help African Americans who reside here.

“I think it is definitely progressive in terms of trans people. I don’t think it is progressive in terms of Black people. I think sometime it can be performative because there is not a lot of Black people who live here,” Benson said.

He noted some people can “say microaggressive things” like when he was in high school and students would ask if he intended to get a job after graduation, though he was going to go to college. Benson recently was accepted to Moorhouse College, a historically Black college in Atlanta.

Anthony Jones, chief executive officer at Gaugr, a Santa Rosa marketing and advertising firm, said he has attended almost all of the Black Lives Matter protests held locally. He said the key to keeping momentum going for the movement is “not getting caught up in the slogans, but the action items behind the slogans.”

He advocates making change on the local level and working to inform young voters how important things such as city council races are in regards to oversight of police. Jones noted that businessman Eddie Alvarez, who is running for the District 1 City Council seat, could be a candidate that many activists may want to support as he grew up in a blue-collar household in Roseland and now operates a cannabis dispensary.

“Those are the types of education we should give because the youth will attach to somebody like that,” Jones said.

You can reach Staff Writer Bill Swindell at 707-521-5223 or bill.swindell@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @BillSwindell.