The group went to the courthouse and marched around it seven times.
The only thing that approached a warning of violence came from the Hamilton pastor who organized the event, as he warned violence would not be tolerated during the peaceful march.
"This is a peaceful, non-violent march and protest," the Rev. Patrick Davis cautioned before the walk began. "I'm speaking for myself and some of my friends: Some of us grew up in the 'hood, OK? We see you getting out of pocket, trying to take away from the meaning of this thing, hey, it's not going to be good, man. I'm just going to say that. It's all love, but don't try to subvert this man's memory."
Aisia Chandler, 44, of Fairfield, who is black, said this was her first march ever, and she went "because it's a peaceful one that
"This death, unlike the others — all the deaths are wrong, but this one, the way it was done, the brutality, the seven minutes on someone's neck," Chandler said. "I say someone, not a black man, but anyone, it's the worst type of inhumane thing that I've ever seen on Facebook or life.”
Davis of The Fringe church said he cancelled Sunday morning’s service and instead called for the march because “we refused to step over people’s bodies on the way to church.”
The march of several hundred people included a majority of white protesters, but Davis asked those who were black or people of color to move to the front because, he said, their voices are not often listened to. He said he believes that is a solution to conflict, a greater variety of voices being heard.
“I think the church as a whole in America has been silent for too long,” Davis said.
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