Peaceful Protest Planned Saturday In Shorewood

SHOREWOOD, WI — A peaceful protest to mourn the loss of George Floyd, who died last week in police custody, will take place in Shorewood, and one organizer says he wants the effect of protests to result in meaningful change in Milwaukee's north shore communities.

"We need to have more social justice curriculum in our schools. Black people need to feel more comfortable in our schools. We need more counselors and less cops," Noah Wolfe, of Whitefish Bay, said.

The rally will feature black activists and allies from throughout the community, organizers said. Speakers will address the crowd Saturday afternoon, and African-American community members will continue to lead the way as the march gets going, organizers said.

Wolfe said he was inspired to help out after he attended a recent Kneel for Nine event Tuesday in Shorewood. "We started kneeling in the grass, and I wondered why we weren't kneeling in the street right now," he said. "A few of us kneeled in the street, and we ended up blocking off traffic. It occurred to me that this community hasn't been active in making their voice heard as allies."

Wolfe was there when he saw an upset man admonishing the crowd. As Wolfe recalled, he watched as 14-year-old Isabella Brusby stood up to the man, not backing down as the older man shouted and yelled at her.

"After that happened, I turned to my friend and said 'we need to have a protest in the North Shore. We need to be allies and show we support the community.'" Brusby is expected to speak at the rally Saturday, Wolfe said.

Some of that support wasn't so obvious last week after marchers tried heading north from Milwaukee into Shorewood.

"They completely stopped them at Edgewood. It's terrible. It disgusts me."

Wolfe said this time around, the rally won't have to try to march through Shorewood. It will already be there.

The rally is scheduled to begin Saturday at 1 p.m. as people are called to gather at Atwater Park before taking a roughly 7-mile walk south into Milwaukee, eventually ending up at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.