Citizens Protest Response and Safety members near the Trojan Horse in Bloomington on Tuesday.
(Ethan Burks, WTIU/WFIU News)
Hundreds gathered around downtown Bloomington last week to protest racism and demand justice for Vauhxx Booker, the local activist who was assaulted over the July Fourth weekend.
During the protests on Monday and Tuesday, some people on the courthouse square were carrying rifles.
They were members of the nonprofit group Citizens Protest Response and Safety, Inc. (CPRS). Group members refused requests for an interview but provided a statement over Facebook.
The statement says the group formed in June after seeing how demonstrators in Indianapolis were being treated as the George Floyd protests swept the U.S.
It “consists of numerous volunteer citizens who recognize the need to protect the safety and security of American protesters.” According to its Facebook page, group members include “volunteer medics, EMTs/medical personnel, veterans, legal aides and social workers,” as well as everyday citizens.
Protest organizers invited the group to the demonstrations that took place at the beginning of last week in Bloomington.
“CPRS shares the increasingly popular belief that the police will not protect us from these harms,” a Facebook page administrator wrote. “And we have taken it upon ourselves to ensure that all citizens in Indiana are safe to exercise their First Amendment rights without fear of being hurt or harassed.”
A CPRS member stands outside of Bryan Hall during Tuesday's protest. (Ethan Burks, WTIU/WFIU News)
CPRS members blocked off streets throughout downtown Bloomington to provide protesters with space to march. The Facebook administrator wrote they intervened when a man was “hurl[ing] racial slurs” at protesters and even stopped several vehicles from driving into protesters. Yet on Monday evening, a car ran through a line of protesters, injuring two.
“Thankfully everyone who was injured on Monday was attended to by an organized coalition of medics and first responders, who we work in tandem with to keep crowds as safe as possible,” the admin wrote.
The admin added that the group’s intention is never to use their weapons.
“Our only aim was to prioritize the safety of all people, regardless of their views of protesting, police, and the rights of the Second Amendment,” they wrote.
