The past week was marked by several protests, rallies and prayer circles – each in response to the death of Alton Sterling at the hands of two Baton Rouge Police Department officers.
Baton Rouge residents and University students took part in many of these events, several of which resulted in arrests. Tyrus Thomas, a former LSU basketball star and the co-owner of Everything Philly, attended some of the events over the weekend, though he was not sure of the exact number.
Thomas said he joined in the protests to “help control as much of the situation” as he could. He said he wanted to make sure the people were represented by someone “who had a cool head at the time.”
“I think that I’m better equipped to handle my emotions better than most people,” Thomas said. “My message to them was, ‘I’m here for us and for the people.’ It was more to keep everyone safe.”
Thomas said he did not think any of the protesters attempted to make the demonstrations violent or non peaceful.
He also said he had been in contact with several other community leaders, such as Baton Rouge Metropolitan Council member LaMont Cole and Louisiana State Sen. Sharon Weston Broome, D-Baton Rouge, about the issues.
“We’re just trying to figure out what can we do. We’re just trying to figure out what can we do to bring these people together to unite and also make some realistic solutions and some change,” Thomas said. “Not just buffing their heads up with promises.”
Several students and community members gathered at the LSU Memorial Tower on Monday evening for a Unity Prayer. Mass communication graduate student Myron Smothers organized the event to ease the stress and confusion that followed Sterling’s death.
During the event, several people stepped in the middle of the prayer circle to share their thoughts and feelings about Sterling’s death and the protests.
“I wanted to do this to, also, be therapeutic for people because people need to get those emotions out,” Smothers said. “I’m sure some people got some help with some of the things they heard, as well.”
Bianca Webb, the University’s 2015 homecoming queen and a mass communication graduate student, said she came to help with the events in any way she could.
She said she passed out water during the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition’s “Wave March for Justice” on Sunday. The youth-led march began at Wesley United Methodist Church and ended at the Louisiana State Capitol.
“From my personal belief, prayer outweighs everything,” Webb said. “Pray about everything, fear nothing, is what I was taught. I do know when more than one comes together, then change happens.”
The LSU African American Cultural Center will host “…And Justice for All” today from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. where attendees will discuss and reflect on Sterling’s killing.
Josh Thornton and Jourdan Riley contributed to this report.