Troubled by the news Sunday that three police officers were gunned down in Baton Rouge so soon after the killing of five in Dallas, three friends in the Cottage Grove area decided to organize a show of support.
A little more than 24 hours later, Joe Weverka, Ashley Hansen and Daniel Bies were on a bridge over U.S. 61 with about 50 other like-minded residents of Cottage Grove, South St. Paul, Newport, St. Paul Park and other communities. They carried candles, flags and signs in support of police, and the children in the crowd counted out the number of cars and trucks that honked in unity.
They said they chose the 80th Street Bridge because it’s a sort of crossroads for several communities. It’s also a very visible place, and they wanted their message to spread.
“If we can inspire people to stand up for peace, it’s going to be a much better place to live in,” said Weverka, 33, of St. Paul.
The three said they planned to be on the bridge from 9 to 11 p.m. every night this week.
Hansen said she reached out to a couple of Black Lives Matter members to see if they wanted to join in, but she hadn’t heard back as the group took to the bridge at 9 p.m. She said she assumes they share the same goal of promoting peace.
“We’re all made of the same thing, so there’s no reason we can’t support the same things,” said Hansen, 31, of Cottage Grove.
St. Paul Park Mayor Keith Franke and two members of the city council came out to the vigil after learning about it that evening at a council meeting. Council member Sandi Dingle said she appreciated that it was promoted as a positive gathering and not a criticism of Black Lives Matter.
“It isn’t a protest, it’s just a peaceful gathering to show our support of the police,” Dingle said.
Tara Cockriel of Newport said she learned of the planned vigil at 5 p.m., just four hours before it was to start, and she ran straight to Walgreen’s to get supplies for a sign. Her placard said, “We support our police,” lettered in black and blue and lit with a string of flashing LED lights.
She said she comes from a military and law enforcement family and she understands the stress police are under these days. She said a cousin on the Cottage Grove Police Department told her he stopped reading Facebook conversations because he was tired of the hatred.
She said everyone is entitled to their opinion, but they should try to see things from police officers’ point of view.
“I went on a ride-along,” she said. “I encourage everybody to do it. It’s not an easy job.”