The GRPD detained one, arrested a second person, then disrupted traffic for more than 30 minutes in order to prevent a march demanding justice for Patrick Lyoya

Nearly 50 people marched yesterday in Grand Rapids to demand justice for Patrick Lyoya on the 2nd anniversary of his murder by a GRPD cop.

The Comrades Collective organized the event, just two days after the hosted a candlelight vigil for Patrick Lyoya. And just like the vigil, Patrick Lyoya’s family was there demanding justice for their son and brother.

The march began at Fish Ladder Park on the westside of the Grand River, moving north initially, then turning right to cross the river on the Sixth Street bridge. Just as the marchers began walking on the bridge, three GRPD cruisers stopped the safety car that the Comrades Collective was using. Safety cars have been standard practice for marches that take the streets for years now, in order to prevent motorists who want to hit marches with their vehicle. 

The cops surrounded the safety car and immediately demanded to see his ID. Crowd Safety members quickly came to the aid of the car safety person, but were also rebuked by the GRPD with threats of arrest if they didn’t get out of the street or if they got too close to the car. After 10 minutes, the GRPD ended up giving the car safety person a ticket, but told him that he would need to leave if he didn’t want to get arrested. 

The march then continued across the bridge, while the three cop cruisers left and went in the opposite direction. On the other side of the bridge, Comrades Collective members who were using bullhorns let people know what happened and then asked the marchers and Patrick Lyoya’s family if they wanted to continue in the street or on the sidewalk. Everyone said, “In the streets!”

The march was then moving south on Monroe, with a new safety car following the marchers. There was at least a dozen cars backed up behind the march, but those in the cars were moving and would only be disrupted for a couple of minutes.

Just as the march was about to go under the 196 overpass, 6 GRPD cruisers showed up and the safety car person was again stopped and targeted. This time the GRPD removed the car safety person and put them in a cop cruiser, but not before them put them in handcuffs.

Of course, this decision by the GRPD got the marchers all roused up and nearly everyone was filing the incident. Next, the GRPD decided to search the car of the safety person, the front seat, under the floor mats, followed by the back seat and then the truck of the car. The cops were going through personal belongings of the car safety person, while the marchers yelled, “what probably cause do you have to search this car?”

By then, another 6 GRPD cruisers showed up, totaling 12 cop cars, with 15 GRPD cops. In fact, the GRPD blocked off Monroe, meaning the motorists who had been behind the march were now delayed way longer than the march would have delayed them. In addition, the GRPD, instead of letting someone else take the keys and driver the car, the GRPD called for a tow truck and impounded their vehicle.

Forty minutes later, the Comrades Collective asked the Lyoya family if they still wanted to march in the streets down to the Grand Rapids Police Department. The Lyoya family said yes. So, the march continued south on Monroe and then made a left onto Breonna Taylor Way. The Comrades Collective stopped at Rosa Parks Circle to give everyone a break and a chance to get some bottled water from the cart they brought with them. 

After a few minutes, the march resumed and walked up to the GRPD headquarters. As soon as the march arrived at the police station, several more GRPD cruisers showed up, with 3 cops getting out and approaching the marchers who were standing in front of the police station. One cop said, “if you remain on the sidewalk you will be fine, but if you walk in the streets again, we will arrest you.” Once they said this, they promptly left. 

Members of the Comrades Collective then spoke briefly about what has happed and what has not happened in the 2 years since Patrick Lyoya was murdered by the GRPD. After consulting the Lyoya family on what to do next, Patrick’s family felt that we should probably just return to the Fish Ladder Park. Everyone agreed, since the march had accomplished what it set out to do, which was to demand justice for Patrick and disrupt business as usual in downtown Grand Rapids.

Once the marchers arrived back at the park, the Comrades Collective thanked everyone for showing up and continuing the fight for Patrick Lyoya. Patrick Lyoya’s family also communicated their gratitude to everyone who organized and participated in the march.

From there, members of the Comrades Collective went to the Kent County Jail to wait for the release of the car safety person who had been arrested earlier. Their bond had already been paid and the person who had been taken by the GRPD was released Saturday evening. 

If yesterday’s action by the Comrades Collective meant anything, it certainly communicated two things to this writer. First, there is no doubt that people will continue to fight for and demand justice for Patrick Lyoya. Lastly, the GRPD once again demonstrated that they only car about maintaining order and could car less about the safety of people who were non-violently protesting the GRPD murder of Patrick Lyoya. As the Comrades Collective pointed out in a statement they released for the second anniversary of Patrick Lyoya’s murder, “As police abolitionists, we want far more than what the system that killed Patrick Lyoya can offer – because the system that killed him is not set up to provide justice for his family and loved ones.”