Group calling for Land Run monument’s removal says it doesn’t need armed volunteers’ protection – KOCO Oklahoma City

A local veteran is rounding up armed volunteers to protect a Land Run monument in Oklahoma City and a group calling for its removal after he said Black Lives Matter supporters threatened to vandalize it. Black Lives Matter officials said theyre not affiliated with any alleged threats against the monument. Brenda Golden, the founder of the group SPIRIT (Society to Protect Indigenous Rights and Indigenous Treaties), added the group doesnt need the veterans or armed peoples protection as it calls for the removal of the Land Run monument.No person of color was allowed to participate in the Land Run, so it affects all people of color, or it did, Golden said. So, we invited Black Lives Matter to support this, and we did not ask him (Shannon Collins) for his support. So, I would just reach out my hand to him in friendship and say, I appreciate that you want to protect us, but we dont need protection. Were working together with Black Lives Matter.Thats the message Golden wants to give Collins, a veteran who organized the Protect the Land Run Monuments event. He said more than 300 people are expected to attend the event thats scheduled for 10 a.m. July 11 in Oklahoma City.I want to make sure that everybody knows were not coming there as the Second Amendment rights. Were coming there with protection, just in case, Collins said. Were not going to come there with long rifles strapped. I made it clear on my event thats not going to happen.The SPIRIT group planned a peaceful display, lying under the monument as a reminder of what was a dark day for Indigenous people. The group hopes Collins and his volunteers have a change of heart and dont show up.I almost feel sorry that these people do not have the empathy to understand how painful those monuments are to our Indigenous people, Golden said. What they symbolize is racism and how the treaties were all broken in order for that Land Run to happen.I would personally rather have the monument stay and then, maybe, Native American monuments and then Black people that formed Oklahoma monuments so that when you walk through the park, you can read the history of Oklahoma, Collins added.

A local veteran is rounding up armed volunteers to protect a Land Run monument in Oklahoma City and a group calling for its removal after he said Black Lives Matter supporters threatened to vandalize it.

Black Lives Matter officials said theyre not affiliated with any alleged threats against the monument. Brenda Golden, the founder of the group SPIRIT (Society to Protect Indigenous Rights and Indigenous Treaties), added the group doesnt need the veterans or armed peoples protection as it calls for the removal of the Land Run monument.

No person of color was allowed to participate in the Land Run, so it affects all people of color, or it did, Golden said. So, we invited Black Lives Matter to support this, and we did not ask him (Shannon Collins) for his support. So, I would just reach out my hand to him in friendship and say, I appreciate that you want to protect us, but we dont need protection. Were working together with Black Lives Matter.

Thats the message Golden wants to give Collins, a veteran who organized the Protect the Land Run Monuments event. He said more than 300 people are expected to attend the event thats scheduled for 10 a.m. July 11 in Oklahoma City.

I want to make sure that everybody knows were not coming there as the Second Amendment rights. Were coming there with protection, just in case, Collins said. Were not going to come there with long rifles strapped. I made it clear on my event thats not going to happen.

The SPIRIT group planned a peaceful display, lying under the monument as a reminder of what was a dark day for Indigenous people. The group hopes Collins and his volunteers have a change of heart and dont show up.

I almost feel sorry that these people do not have the empathy to understand how painful those monuments are to our Indigenous people, Golden said. What they symbolize is racism and how the treaties were all broken in order for that Land Run to happen.

I would personally rather have the monument stay and then, maybe, Native American monuments and then Black people that formed Oklahoma monuments so that when you walk through the park, you can read the history of Oklahoma, Collins added.

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Group calling for Land Run monument's removal says it doesn't need armed volunteers' protection - KOCO Oklahoma City