Guns at protest bring fear to Port

Port Washington city leaders this week expressed concern about armed counter-protesters who attended peaceful rallies and marches in support of the Black Lives Matter movement over the weekend.

“They have the Constitutional right to open-carry, but it only takes one hothead to cause a problem,” Mayor Marty Becker said. “The minute you introduce weapons, you have deadly force.”

A rumor that the American flag was going to be burned at a Friday rally likely prompted the show of force, Becker said, adding it could have been “a tipping point.”

Ald. Pat Tearney agreed, saying, “I’m concerned. I wish guns weren’t showing up. Accidents can happen. We haven’t had any incidents yet, and I hope and pray that continues.” 

Port Washington Police Chief Kevin Hingiss said the addition of armed counter-protesters was a concern for police, noting “things can escalate.” Some of the people there didn’t have a magazine in their weapons, he said, while others did.

“Obviously I worry about all this stuff — weapons, fights, property damage. It doesn’t matter how I feel. We have to protect everybody, as long as they’re obeying the law,” he said. 

At a rally in Veterans Park Friday, a group of roughly 25 counter-protesters armed with assault-style rifles and sidearms gathered in what several people at the rally called an intimidation tactic.

Unlike previous rallies and marches, the weekend events brought out a plethora of counter-protesters who heckled and tried to shout out the protesters.

“It was a whole new level of disrespect,” Lauren Krist, a Port Washington college student who helped with Friday’s rally, said. 

The guns were “definitely” an intimidation, Krist said.

“There was no purpose,” she said. “It was a little tense. People were telling me they were scared. They felt harassed. 

“We had cardboard signs and they had guns.”

It was evidence, she said, that “we do have an issue here in Port.”

Many of those attending the rally expected it to be the same peaceful event that has been held in the past, Janette Braverman, a Mequon resident and Ozaukee County supervisor, said.

“We weren’t ready for it. Many people were caught off guard by the anti-protesters,” Braverman, who is African-American,  said. “I can definitely say they exhibited racist behavior. I felt the hate.”

The flag-burning rumor, she said, came as a surprise to rally organizers.

“We learned about it last minute,” Braverman said. “We have no idea where it may have come from.”

Friday’s rally was organized by Break the Silence in the Burbs, which has been staging rallies and marches throughout the area — including one in Grafton in June.

Police Chief Kevin Hingiss said a rumor that a flag was going to be burned at the rally seemed to prompt many of the counter-protesters, some of whom called the department ahead of time.

“They said they wanted to be there and prevent the flag from being burned and show their support for police officers and for the City of Port Washington,” he said, adding he told them that officers “have this protest handled. We don’t need help with that.”

Hingiss said he checked out the rumor and, after it was dispelled by rally organizers, passed that word on to the counter-protesters.

City ordinances prohibit carrying guns and firearms in city parks, he added, but the city attorney said state law allows this and supersedes local law.

Krist, who helped organize a Father’s Day rally and march in Port, said she expected Friday’s event to go “just like that. It didn’t.”

About 10 counter-protesters were there when she arrived, she said, and they kept bringing up the flag-burning rumor, which she and others said was never planned.

Braverman, who was a speaker at the event, said the rally was “challenging.” When a young man sang “Lift Ev’ry Voice And Sing,” known as the Black national anthem, the counter-protesters sang the “Star Spangled Banner” over him and then chanted “All Lives Matter.”

Braverman said she tried to calm the crowd, telling people “I just want to proceeded peacefully today. We’re here to support the people of color in our community.”

Krist said Braverman “barely got a word in and people started shouting. People were antagonizing her. She thanked them for coming.”

The crowd shouted over teenagers who tried talking about their experiences, Krist said, including a 15-year-old Port High student and a teenager who read a poem.

The march through downtown “went fine,” Krist said, but when they returned to the park and knelt for eight minutes, 46 seconds of silence to honor George Floyd, the Minnesota man killed after a police officer knelt on his neck for that amount of time, a man started yelling “What are you even praying for.”

Hingiss said Friday’s rally was largely attended by area residents.

“There were some groups that sat down and had conversations,” he said. “There was some jawing between the two groups.”

Police cited 51-year-old Brian Stenberg of Port Washington for disorderly conduct when he would not stop harassing the protesters after the event, Hingiss said.

A rally on Sunday was impromptu, Hingiss said, organized by Frank Nitty, an activist behind many of Milwaukee’s Black Lives Matter marches. Police learned of the rally about 1 p.m. Sunday, he said, adding it was planned for 3:30 p.m.

Although a number of people showed up then, Nitty and a group of Milwaukee residents arrived a few hours later.

Counter-protesters were at this rally as well, Krist said, and the first thing Nitty did when he arrived was to speak to them. 

After a short rally, the protesters spilled off the sidewalks and took to the streets, chanting and honking horns as they traveled not only through downtown but other portions of the community as well. The rally and march ended about 11 p.m.

“Their goal was to cause a disturbance,” Hingiss said. “They wanted to show the racists in Port Washington they could shut us down.”

By and large, he said, the march was peaceful but raucous.

“There were a few times some citizens didn’t like what was going on. Words were exchanged,” Hingiss said.

Krist said Nitty’s group was professional, bringing security guards and medics to ensure people’s safety. 

But Becker expressed concern that some protesters were risking their safety by riding on top of cars and on trunks during the march.

“If they want to protest, yell and scream out windows or sunroofs, that’s fine,” he said. “But all it takes is a quick stop and someone can get hurt.”

Overall, he said, Sunday’s protest was peaceful and participants got along with residents.

“The police did an excellent job. The protesters did an excellent job,” Becker said.

Becker and Hingiss said they are frustrated that the many rallies and marches are giving Port an undeserved reputation.

“What bothers me is when people blame it on the City of Port,” Becker said. “They (rally participants and counter-protesters) are not all from Port.

“Is Port perfect? Nothing’s perfect.”

Hingiss said the reputation Port is getting is disappointing.

“We’re like every community. Every community has racists. Every community has people who aren’t racist,” he said.

Braverman, who said she has experienced racism “as long as I’ve been on this earth,” said Ozaukee County is leading community conversations about race. More than 130 people have participated so far, she said, adding more events will be held.

“People need to be educated about race,” she said, adding this is one purpose to the rallies as well. “It’s essential and it’s uncomfortable but we have to do it. 

“A peaceful march is just a way to bring it to the light. We’re not trying to be belligerent. We’re trying to bring transformation and change, to prompt conversations. Having the conversation is essential to transformation.

“I just want people to feel comfortable here. We have the right to be treated equally.”