Protesters march on the sidewalk outside of the Ohio Statehouse

Black Lives Matter protesters march on the sidewalk outside of the Ohio Statehouse May 30. Saturday’s Black Lives Matter events were cancelled due to the presence of a pro-Trump march at the Ohio Statehouse. Credit: Max Garrison | Asst. Campus Editor

Organizers have canceled Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend of Action of safety concerns ahead of armed, pro-Trump marches in Columbus this weekend.

The People’s Justice Project, which organized a rally and march along with the Black Abolitionist Collective of Ohio, Central Ohio Freedom Fund and Showing up for Racial Justice, announced on its social media the postponement of its demonstrations “due to the recent developments and increasing tension from reactionary forces.”

Gov. Mike DeWine and Mayor Andrew Ginther announced Thursday morning that all state buildings in downtown Columbus, including the Ohio Statehouse, would close Sunday through Wednesday in anticipation of the planned armed march of pro-Trump and far-right groups in protest of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.

“We don’t want to risk anyone’s life. We don’t want to put a spotlight on them,” Ginnie Vogts, a member of Showing Up for Racial Justice, said. “We don’t want to engage in combat.”

Vogts said more than anything, he and other event organizers are disappointed they won’t be able to honor King on the weekend before his birthday.

“We’re very sad about [losing] this opportunity to celebrate King’s accomplishments,” Vogts said. “As we’re in the midst of objecting to all the killings of Black men that have happened here.”

In early December, Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Meade fatally shot Casey Goodson Jr., a 23-year-old Black man, in Columbus. Less than three weeks later on Dec. 22, Columbus police officer Adam Coy fatally shot André Hill, an unarmed Black man, in a house garage.

Flyers for the weekend’s events included a list of demands such as firing Meade and arresting him for Goodson’s death, the resignation of Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and the firing of Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan. 

The Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend of Action was to include a rally and march from Goodale Park Saturday at noon in honor of King and  “to uplift the legacies of Black people killed by police in Columbus and demand action from our elected officials,” according to a post shared by each group on Facebook.

Sunday morning, participants were to gather at 9 a.m. for breakfast, then visit the home of an undisclosed elected official of the Columbus City Council, according to flyers for the event.

Additionally, a rally planned for Friday at 3:30 p.m. at City Hall in response to Hill’s death was canceled. Hill’s sister, Shawna Barnett, announced the cancellation Wednesday via Facebook.

The Weekend of Action was planned to occur less than two weeks after violence erupted downtown at the Ohio Statehouse Jan. 6, when Proud Boys and pro-Trump protesters clashed with protesters for Black Lives Matter.

An internal FBI memo Monday warned of armed demonstrations at all 50 state capitols and the U.S. Capitol between Jan. 16 and Jan. 20, Biden’s Inauguration Day.

Correction: A previous version of this story referred to Ginnie Vogts as “she.” Vogts uses he/him pronouns, and the story has been updated to reflect this.