Post-protest clean up shows 'the strength of our community'

LANSING – Fred Armstrong often walks by Linn & Owen Jewelers in downtown Lansing to admire the clocks.

During the melee that ensued after Sunday’s peaceful protest, he and John Ross saved those clocks.

Armstrong and Ross grabbed items from the shop’s smashed front display windows and stowed them away for the night. During Monday’s downtown clean up, the pair returned them to Stewart Powell, owner of Linn & Owen.

“We did what we could, we stopped people from getting in there,” Ross said.

The people downtown are hardworking, and it wasn’t right to destroy something, Armstrong said.

During the aftermath of the protests, residents from around Greater Lansing came downtown Monday morning to sweep up broken glass, clear debris from the streets and help the city recover from the damage suffered downtown.

“What’s happening this morning is the strength of our community,” Powell said. “What’s going on this morning makes you feel so much better.”

It’s extraordinary to see people from throughout the community to come help the downtown, Powell said. He said he's grateful for the people who came to help, and especially the two men who helped rescue his merchandise.

“That’s Lansing,” Powell said. “Those are our friends.”

‘It’s positivity I expect from the city’

Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said the peaceful protest was a positive event, but what followed does not reflect the character of the city.

“What happened last night was terrible,” Schor said.

Seeing people cleaning the side walks and helping repair the damage is what Lansing is about, Schor said.

“It’s still a somber occasion but it’s positivity I expect from the city,” Schor said.

Lansing Police Chief Daryl Green said the destruction after the protests devastated him but watching people sweep up glass, clean debris and cover vandalism showed him the true spirit of the community.

“It just warmed my heart,” Green said.

“I say we were lucky, it could have been a lot worse,” Green said. “I think we fared pretty well.”

Moving beyond the broken glass, vandalism

Ryan Holmes, of Lansing, knelt on the sidewalk near the corner of Washington and Allegan, using sidewalk chalk to cover anti-police graffiti with intricate flowers. Holmes, an artist and creator, sought not to mask the scars from Sunday’s events but show the community can move beyond it.

“My intention is not to cover it up, but show something can grow from it,” Holmes said.

Holmes said it’s been amazing to see the community rally together and heal.

“The last 72 hours have been pretty devastating; there hasn’t been a lot of positive in the world or community,” said state Rep. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing. “Coming together as a community is a good first step, and I hope we have the courage to have the deeper conversations that address the systemic issues.”

'We love our city'

Maria Herrera drove through downtown before 5:30 a.m. to survey the damage. She planned to go home to pick up her family and return for the clean up, but instead stopped to help a man cleaning up damage in front of Chase Bank.

“I just pulled over to help,” Herrera said. “I was just supposed to see. I haven’t left.”

People must keep the city clean to set an example for their kids, Herrera said.

Explaining Sunday night’s events to her children was difficult, she said, and she wanted to show them the violence did not reflect the community.

Corina Salinaz called the violence “a sad moment” as she worked on clean up.

People came out Monday to show Sunday’s events don’t represent Lansing, Salinaz said. The clean up shows the strength of the community, she said.

“We’re here because we love our city,” Salinaz said.

Engagement editor Matt Hund contributed. Contact reporter Craig Lyons at 517-377-1047 or calyons@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @craigalyons.