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Black Lives Matter Chapter In Wichita Scheduled A Protest For Sunday, But Canceled It And Had A Cookout With Police Instead

By Nathan Francis
Published on: 16:50 PST, Jul 17, 2016

The Black Lives Matter group in Wichita had originally planned to hold a protest on Sunday, but the local police chief had another idea — let’s have a joint cookout instead.

The two sides, which have been adversaries in a number of protests across the country in the past few weeks, were able to come together as one in Wichita’s McAdams Park on Sunday for what was dubbed the “First Steps Cookout.” The event was free to the public and had close to 1,000 people express an interest in attending, KWCH reported.

The Wichita Police Department posted pictures and videos from the cookout, including a line of people waiting to take selfies with the police chief and others showing police dancing with people in attendance.

The Wichita cookout came as tensions between police and Black Lives Matter protesters reached a boiling point nationwide. Racial tensions in the United States have been heightened in recent years with the high-profile police killings of a number of unarmed black men, including Eric Garner and Walter Scott.

In a span of a little more than two days earlier this month, police in Baton Rouge killed Alton Sterling, and in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota, a police officer shot and killed Philando Castile. The killings led to widespread protests against police and particularly heightened racial tensions.

In Dallas, a lone gunman opened fire on police officers during a march by the local Black Lies Matter branch, leaving five officers dead. Although the gunman was not affiliated with the group, his motives were reportedly racially charged.

And on Sunday, following several days of tension between police and protesters in Baton Rouge, a gunman opened fire on police officers, killing three.

Amid the heightened tensions, one group even drafted a “We the People” petition to the White House asking President Obama to declare Black Lives Matter as a terrorist group.

“Terrorism is defined as ‘the use of violence and intimidation in pursuit of political aims,'” the petition read. “This definition is the same definition used to declare ISIS and other groups, as terrorist organizations.”

The group added that Black Lives Matter, “earned this title due to its actions in Ferguson, Baltimore, and even at a Bernie Sanders rally, as well as all over the United States and Canada.”

Because the petition topped 100,000 signatures, it prompted a response from the White House, which noted that it plays “no role in designating domestic terror organizations.”

But it did give a response to the heart of the petition, CBS News noted.

“The White House then went further: Acknowledging that it was a ‘difficult time’ for the country — and that the debate remains a ‘charged’ one — the statement additionally prompted petition signers to consider President Obama’s words calling for compassion towards the movement.

“‘I think it’s important for us to also understand that the phrase black lives matter simply refers to the notion that there’s a specific vulnerability for African Americans that needs to be addressed,’ the president said last week, talking to a Washington, D.C. gathering of enforcement officials, civil rights leaders, elected officials and other activists on the issue of racial disparities in the criminal justice system. ‘We shouldn’t get too caught up in this notion that somehow people who are asking for fair treatment are somehow, automatically, anti-police, are trying to only look out for black lives as opposed to others. I think we have to be careful about playing that game.'”

That was the message at the heart of the cookout in Wichita, which saw Black Lives Matter organizers working alongside police officers to serve the community.

[Image via Wichita Police Department/Twitter]

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