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Billings BIPOC protest organizers emotional on eve of event

Posted at 9:14 AM, Jun 07, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-07 20:49:51-04

BILLINGS-

Billings Police expect a peaceful protest at the Billings protest set to honor George Floyd Sunday, but say they will be ready for any outcome.

For organizers , it will be an emotional day.

"We'll have inspirational music to get people pumped up but in a positive way," protest organizer and host Amber Palmer said.

The organizers of the Justice for George Floyd protest planned a peaceful protest, and they aim to keep it that way.

"We will start with a prayer," Palmer said.

"Not only is this a memorial for George Floyd, but our BIPOC family," Palmer said.

Organizers hope to honor Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in our community, while bringing togetherness.

"I just can't be numb to certain situations anymore. The sadness and the rage and the love and the passion that have, it just came over me, " Taylor Arnold said.

The organizers have been contacted by people from the Not in Our Town program.

"Conversations that are positive and tend to go in a positive direction are when both sides are willing to hear each other out," organizer and host James Bulluck said.

Not in our Town originated right here in Billings after residents stood up for their neighbors against hate crimes occuring in the 90's.

"I'm not just going to stop here for this one moment, I'm going to keep going for the rest of my life, so my kids can ensure, and everyone else has a better future," Arnold said.

The program inspired communities around the world to take a stand against hate.

"There are people that have genuine questions. And if those are coming from a genuine place, I can answer them in a genuine way," organizer and host Ken Palmer said.

The protest will end with those in attendance laying down for eight minutes and fourty-six seconds because that's how long George Floyd was held down," Amber Palmer said.

"I told my husband there's going to be people speaking at the rally I would love to see you speak, and he says and he said, 'You know I don't like to speak, that's not my game', but then this morning he came in and said, 'Listen to this recording of something I wrote, and I listened to it, and I just started crying because I am so proud of him," organizer and host Jessica Bulluck said.

"You've got to start somewhere, and this is where we're starting," Amber Palmer said.

Organizers will also be supplying masks to the crowd.

Again, the protest is set for 1 P-M Sunday. Q2 will have full coverage across all platforms.