Jackson Free Press

Canton police arrested demonstrators protesting racial profiling this morning after protesters allegedly violated a city permit.

ACLU Executive Director Nsombi Lambright said demonstrators had a permit for a stationary public rally, but violated that permit when participants began a march from the Madison County Courthouse to the sheriff's office.

"We did not have a march permit, but even with that we told Chief (Robert) Winn and (Assistant) Chief (Bracey) Coleman that some people would be walking and others driving," Lambright told the Jackson Free Press, adding that Canton police began arresting protesters when organizer David L. Archie challenged police to arrest them for violating their permit.

"They arrested them when Archie said on the microphone ‘They would just have to arrest us.' They arrested them on what they said, not what they did," Lambright said. "We were following the city ordinance. We were just walking, not out in the street, but on the sidewalk. They arrested 15 people, including senior citizens, a minor and a disabled woman."

Flora resident Mary Sumler, a senior citizen who owns a restaurant in Canton, and organizer David Archie were among the arrested.

Organizers arranged the rally to protest alleged racial profiling by the Madison County Sheriff's office.

Archie, who ran for the Ward 1 Jackson City Council seat in 2007, has argued for years that Madison County law enforcement officers pinpoint black drivers for traffic stops and arrests.

"Over the years since the election of Toby Trowbridge as sheriff of Madison County, numerous individuals have brought forth claims of harassment, intimidation, discrimination and outright brutality by the Madison County sheriff's department," Archie stated in a press release just prior to his March 27 arrest. "Racial profiling and deputy misconduct are widespread and well known."

Trowbridge did not return calls but has denied targeting blacks and minorities in the past.

Lambright said law enforcement officers conducting arrests were members of Canton police.

Canton Police Chief Robert Winn also did not return calls.

Previous Commentsshow

I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I believe I may've caused the C-L to change their reporting on this story. When they first reported on the arrests early in the afternoon, the way they worded the story made it seem as if there was an ordinance against protests in Canton (which would've been shot down by every court in the land) and I commented on their website, "A city order on protests? Is there a law against protesting in Canton? Maybe the reporter means that the protestors did not have a permit to march?" I went back to the website a little later on and the story was taken off the site. Now it's back on and they've taken out that part about the ordinance.

golden eagle

Mar 27 2008

Well, golden, it's good to know that someone was paying attention.

LatashaWillis

Mar 28 2008

I read this article and the C-L article, and I still have mixed feelings about this. I believe the rally was necessary, but was it wise to march without a permit and dare the police to arrest you? I'm not sure about this.

LatashaWillis

Mar 28 2008

Showing up to protest mistreatment by the cops whilst having outstanding warrants and a pocketful of crack qualifies one as an idiot. But that's just my line of thinking.

bill_jackson

Mar 28 2008

someone had CRACK?! I didnt read that.

Kamikaze

Mar 28 2008

Kim Wade referenced that yesterday.

bill_jackson

Mar 28 2008

There were some protestors who had warrants for their arrests.

golden eagle

Mar 28 2008

Not trying to smear Mr. Archie but I did a Google search to find out if it was the same person who ran for office in Jackson and one of the first things to come up was an arrest in Fayetteville, Georgia on March 25, 2006. David L. Archie, 42, of Collier Avenue, Jackson, Miss. for DUI and failure to maintain lane. Link: http://www.thecitizen.com/node/5169

JXNnative

Mar 31 2008

Not to belittle your research, but if I enter my name in Google, I find I work several dozen places in an equal amount of professions. Besides, it took two or three DUI's to kick old Chuck McCrae off the Supremes.

Ironghost

Mar 31 2008