Protests have swept the country since the Jan. 7 killing of Renee Macklin Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officer in Minneapolis.
On Jan. 12, the movement came to Maryville, MO as residents turned out for a demonstration and vigil, lining up along Main Street in front of the United Methodist Church near the city’s historic center.
Many in attendance were retired professors from Northwest Missouri State University, but others had come from rural towns in the nearby region, seeking camaraderie.
Joel Whiteside, a pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in Maryville made remarks shortly after noon, when the demonstration began. He invoked the political theorist Hannah Arendt, whose work dealt with fascism and totalitarianism.
“In her teachings, you don't sit around and think about things; you get up, and you raise your voice in a 'life of activity,’” Whiteside said. “So, blessings on all those who are here this morning, doing so.”
Margaret Nelson, of Maryville, was one of the attendees. Standing on the curb before the midday traffic, she said there had been too many injustices to remain silent.
“In Middle America we've been sheltered from a lot of the stuff that happens in the bigger cities, but we can’t use that as an excuse to sit at home any longer. People need to know that we are here, and that we care about things enough to get out for mornings like this.”
Demonstrators held a similar protest in St. Joseph on Sunday; demonstrations in Kansas City have been ongoing since Good’s murder; before moving to Minneapolis, good was a student at the University of Missouri – Kansas City and a city resident.
While demonstrators carried signs declaring “Abolish ICE,” and “Uphold the constitution,” the event had a solemn note, as well.
“We grieve for the loss of innocent life at the hands of oppressive power," Whiteside said during his remarks.
"We grieve for Renee Good and others like her; we are a community of those who grieve.”
