Photo by Katie Turpen.
Black Lives Matter Protest
During a Black Lives Matter protest on Dec. 20 at The Summit, Birmingham Police officers ask a protestor lying in the street to move.
On Friday at 4 p.m., around 40 protesters arrived at the Lakeshore Drive Walmart. Holding hand-painted banners and signs, the protesters marched in the street and parking lot and chanted.
The demonstration was organized by Black Lives Matter – Birmingham, the same group that coordinated protests at The Summit and Riverchase Galleria. The group announced its protest location only two hours before it happened, citing previous attempts to derail the demonstrations and take down the group’s Facebook page.
According to Homewood Police Sergeant Andrew Didcoct, the protest was peaceful but two people refused to leave the parking lot after the demonstration. One, 31-year-old Randall Corey Anderson, was arrested for criminal trespassing. Anderson is from Riverdale, Georgia.
The other arrested person was 30-year-old Mercutio Tyrell Southhall from Fairfield. He was arrested for criminal trespass, possession of marijuana and resisting arrest. Didcoct said Southhall was tased multiple times because he struggled with the arresting officers.
Black Lives Matter – Birmingham has set up an IndieGogo fundraising page to pay for the two men’s bail. The group set an original goal of $1,500, but the two men's bail was decreased to a total of $325. Currently, the fundraiser has surpassed that goal and reached $500.
The group’s lawyer, David Gespass, said he is still getting the details of the arrests and is seeking witnesses to what happened. He plans to meet with a legal team next week to discuss options for the two men.
“Our priority is getting them out of jail,” Gespass said.
