Bellingham protesters feel ‘it’s important to come here and raise the stakes’
Approximately 100 people marched from Fairhaven to Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood’s South Hill neighborhood house Friday night in support of defunding the Bellingham Police Department and reallocating that money toward community social service programs.
The march on Sept. 4 was put on by the Whatcom County Democratic Socialists of America chapter, as well as the Defund BPD Coalition. The coalition is made up of various social justice organizations, such as the DSA chapter; INK - Imagine No Kages; the Whatcom Human Rights Task Force; Stand, Speak, Listen; Alternative Library; the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center; and SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) Whatcom, among others.
The group gathered at 6 p.m. in the 1100 block of Harris Avenue, outside of Tony’s Coffee in Fairhaven. Fleetwood previously had an office above the coffee shop. A Bellingham Police lieutenant was seen photographing the group prior to the start of the march.
Shortly after 6:15 p.m., the group marched up Harris Avenue and other streets to the mayor’s house, yelling various chants, such as “Whose lives matter? Black lives matter,” and “Housing not handcuffs.” Several people held signs with slogans that read ‘Black lives matter’, ‘Fund solutions not police’ and ‘No justice no peace’.
Most, if not all, of the protesters wore masks.
Fleetwood and City Council member Hannah Stone were outside on Fleetwood’s front lawn when the protesters arrived. Fleetwood invited the group onto his lawn, and most of the protesters sat down in the street or on the edges of the lawn.
An unidentified speaker with the coalition said the protesters were there because even though they have marched on City Hall multiple times, done phone and letter campaigns, and have been involved in the racial justice listening sessions, there have been no commitments from elected officials to address the issues they’re protesting.
“We felt that it’s important to come here and raise the stakes a little bit, so that we can really be heard. … We feel that moving forward, Bellingham should include the people when creating budgets,” the speaker said.
Being heard
More than a dozen people took turns speaking to Fleetwood and the group about various issues, such as providing more funding for services that address mental health, housing and homelessness, domestic violence and sexual assault victims, people who are food insecure and diversity and inclusion in education.
A person of color with the Whatcom Focused Youth Movement said they’ve never had a teacher who’s had the same skin color or sexual orientation as them. They said while attending Bellingham High, they were “surrounded by whiteness every day.” They said it affects Black, Indigenous and people of color mentally, and that representation for all groups in education is important.
“If we had more funding for public schools and teachers got paid what they deserve, I would have some representation in my life,” they said.
Aida Cardona, who is with Stand, Speak, Listen, said the community needs participatory budgeting so people know where city money is going.
“We’re needing accountability, Seth. I helped you with the listening sessions, I’m waiting for action. We’re all waiting for action,” Cardona said. “We need to know how to reallocate these funds in a way that is efficient and effective for our community.”
A person who was formerly a case manager with a community health center and now works a different job at the same place, said many of their patients, the majority of whom were homeless, would be placed on two- to five-year waitlist for housing.
“I wish that I had better news for people. I wish that there was funding for housing, for mental health services. I wish that I could tell people we have services for you,” they said.
Funding programs
The Bellingham Police Department receives about one-third of the city’s revised 2020 general fund budget, or $30.7 million out of the city’s total $92.7 million.
The defund coalition has started a petition calling for a cut of at least 50% from the police department’s budged and is asking that money instead go toward funding programs for:
▪ Expanded mental health services.
▪ Safe, secure and affordable housing.
▪ Food sovereignty.
▪ Worker’s cooperatives.
▪ Expanded substance use treatment and harm reduction services.
▪ Community and cultural spaces for Black and Indigenous people.
▪ Community land trusts.
▪ Supporting Black and Indigenous economic development.
▪ Diversity, equity and inclusion in education and youth program development.
▪ Expanded domestic violence and sexual assault services.
▪ Expansion of early childcare education and before and after school care programs.
The demands were read aloud when the group got to Fleetwood’s home Friday night.
At the end of the protest, someone with the defund coalition asked whether Fleetwood would commit to defunding Bellingham police’s budget by 50%. Fleetwood said no, but told the group they could expect to see some of the suggestions the group has been making reflected in the next city budget.
This story was originally published September 5, 2020 at 8:19 AM.
