Mayor Thallemer Issues Statement Defending Right To Protest
By Dan Spalding
InkFreeNews
WARSAW – Mayor Joe Thallemer issued a statement Wednesday morning, June 3, ahead of the scheduled protest later in the day about the killing of George Floyd.
He referred to the “social discord gripping the nation.”
Thallemer said he, along with Warsaw Police Chief Scott Whitaker and Kosciusko County Sheriff Kyle Dukes, met with organizers early Wednesday morning “about the wrongful death of an African American man in Minneapolis.”
“We shared that we agreed that these actions were unwarranted and yet another example of racial bias. We also assured them that their opinions are important and like everyone, they have the right to express their concerns in a lawful manner,” Thallemer said.
Thallemer added that they are proud of the rich diversity of the community.
He made the comments at the start of the weekly news conference at City Hall to address updates on the pandemic.
The protest is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Kosciusko County Courthouse. It’s the second one organized by the group. The first was Saturday and remained peaceful, unlike others across the country.
Thallemer confirmed that the city has removed benches and trash cans from the immediate area as a precaution.