Wilmington activists to stop leading Black Lives Matter protests

The Wilmington organizing group that has led demonstrations on the steps of City Hall every day since June 1 will cease doing so to redouble its focus on community programs and allow for other organic protests to form.

In a statement posted to its Facebook page, the lowercase leaders announced Thursday evening that it would no longer protest from 5-9 p.m. at Wilmington City Hall.

“From day one we have stated we did not intend to become a face of the movement, but unfortunately, that happened anyway,” the statement read. “In some ways, this helped advance positions brought forth by the protestors, however, it ultimately hurt them in greater ways.”

According to the statement, the lowercase leaders will continue its daytime community programs in front of city hall and its organizers may continue to come to protests individually.

“With lcl becoming the unlikely face of the protest, a blanket of respectability was laid over it,” the statement read. “With this respectability the protest lost its edge and organic flow, therefor(e) systemic change left the table.

“We will continue to invest in community gardens, breakfast programs, more hurricane preparedness and post cleanup,” it continued. “We will continue to reach for tangible changes focused in the very communities that gave us a stage to begin with.”

Lily Nicole, who identifies herself as the chair of the lowercase leaders’ board -- the group is currently applying for nonprofit status -- did not respond to requests for comment.

The lowercase leaders developed out of the grassroots protests against police violence that took place after an official Wilmington Black Lives Matter demonstration on May 30.

The next day, during the unofficial Black Lives Matter protest downtown following the police killing in Minneapolis of George Floyd, Nicole was captured in a viral Facebook Live video negotiating with police to allow protests to continue.

Wilmington Police Department Chief Donny Williams is seen in the video giving Nicole five minutes to move protesters off the road before law enforcement resorted to force.

But before the time elapsed, New Hanover County Sheriff’s deputies fired tear gas into the crowd, who are seen walking in the opposite direction in the video.

The following day, Nicole and others began congregating on the steps of city hall, where everyday members of the community began speaking on social justice issues.

Downtown businesses were largely supportive, donating food and beverages to protesters.

After 10 days of large protests downtown, organizers who had led marches and done the bulk of the speaking joined to form a group called “the lowercase leaders.”

From there, it began holding themed days, such as “Political Tuesday” and “Women of Color Wednesday,” which involved guest speakers like New Hanover County Commissioners’ candidate Leslie Cohen and firsthand accounts from everyday women of color about discrimination and the #MeToo movement, respectively.

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The group has also extended work into the broader community, delivering food donations to local charities, registering people to vote and hosting youth daytime programs.

But almost as soon as the lowercase leaders amassed support, it began to face hurdles.

Ironically, the group’s 9 p.m. cutoff for protests began with a curfew Mayor Bill Saffo enacted on June 2, citing safety. Having built their efforts around the time frame, organizers continued ending at 9 p.m. after Saffo lifted the curfew a week later.

City Councilman Charlie Rivenbark, who would later attract national attention for calling a mural for Black Lives Matter “racist” during an agenda briefing, was caught on camera pulling up to protesters and scolding them for profanity.

In mid-July, the steps of city hall were cordoned off for roof repairs, closing off much of the group’s organizing space.

The lowercase leaders also had several clashes with police.

Twelve demonstrators were charged or arrested within the first month-and-a-half of protests, many for street obstruction.

After getting shut down at the Wilmington City Council meeting on June 14, where activists presented a list of seven demands, they tried to confront officials in the parking garage but were blocked by a wall of WPD officers.

Organizers led protesters back to city hall and tried to stage a sit-in on the street, prompting the WPD and New Hanover Sheriff’s officers to arrest some of the protesters.

While law enforcement corralled the other protesters onto the sidewalk, a New Hanover County Sheriff’s deputy was captured on camera pepper spraying activist Denny Best, who appeared to be acting as a peacekeeper, from several feet away. Video of the event does not show Best initiating or making contact with law enforcement.

For all their frustration, organizers unexpectedly won the battle over Confederate statues, which were temporarily relocated after three WPD officers were fired for violent, racist language, including fantasies about a new civil war and “slaughtering them f---ing n---ers.”

As its demands fell on deaf ears in city council and crowds thinned over time, the lowercase leaders continued to hold protests and teach-ins in front of city hall while expanding its community reach.

Most recently, the lowercase leaders had a large presence at the Back the Blue counter-protest, which was organized to support law enforcement and held on North Third Street across from city hall.

During the tense and sweltering day, as the StarNews reported at the time, one Black Lives Matter protester was arrested and a counter-demonstrator was charged with assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly brandishing a pistol at BLM protesters and using a racial slur.

Reporter Jonathan Haynes can be reached at 910-343-2339 or jhaynes@starnewsonline.com