A crowd marched in the annual MLK Parade on Monday afternoon despite a boycott of the event by members of The Unity Group.
The Brainerd High and Howard High School bands were part of the group that met near the Waffle House on Brainerd Road and marched to Brainerd High.
Also, when Mayor Andy Berke was speaking at an MLK observance, protesters interrupted him. They were asking justice for a man who was killed by local police several months ago when he was allegedly endangering a young child with him.
T
he Unity Group said the city threw up unexpected roadblocks within 48 hours of the event.
Officials called it "a direct and hostile takeover of the event."
After The Unity Group announced there would not be a parade, the mayor's office quickly organized the event from North Moore Road to Brainerd High, which the city said was the route the Unity Group had planned for this year.
Unity Group officials said they believe they ran into problems with the city due to objection to some of the MLK Week activities last year.
The group said, "The Unity Group appreciates all efforts to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and what he stood for. We trust that the primary motivation for the city-sponsored parade this year is to honor his legacy rather than for political reasons.
"We have sponsored a parade on MLK Day since 1970. It is unfortunate that the Unity Group was put in a position where it could not perform this year.
"The Unity Group initiated the march, in Chattanooga, to make Dr. Martin L. King’s Birthday a national holiday. The march soon became what is now known as the Dr. Martin L. King Week Celebration.
"This event now consists of workshops, a prayer breakfast, mid-week cross-culture worship services, a memorial march, etc. The Unity Group was the driving force behind the renaming of 9th Street to M. L. King Blvd.
"One reason we can't support the march this year is our historical mandate and endearing mission to fight for freedom. Regrettably, after 45 faithful year's we must inform the community that procedural roadblocks and political maneuvering stopped us in our tracks. Therefore, our membership elected not to have an MLK March this year.
"At the heart of this matter is our firm belief that the street that bears his namesake no longer represents the epicenter of the Chattanooga's African-American community as our businesses, churches, homes and schools have rapidly dissipated from this once-thriving urban core under the guise of urban planning, renewal, and outright gentrification.
"These communal vices led to rapidly decaying social conditions and psychological conditions that can be defined as maltreated, malnourished and maladjusted. The Unity Group refuses to accept, condone or turn a blind eye to these and other pressing societal issues.
"Finally, our deliberations and discussions with city of Chattanooga personnel throughout the year-long planning process for this year's memorial march gave no clue of any loose ends until 48 hours before the event date. It appears that the city of Chattanooga embraced an exclusionary rule towards our organization as retribution and retaliation because of our speakers, activities and events during last year’s observance.
"Saturday morning our senior leadership, including chairman Sherman Matthews and chairman emeritus Rev. Paul McDaniel, personally informed the mayor that there would be no march.
"We believe city officials exercised a governmental nuclear option to orchestrate a deliberate and hostile takeover of the MLK March and parade.
"We hereby rebuke and censor this deplorable and despicable authoritarian and totalitarian tactic. It is a direct insult on the civil rights communities of past, present and future.
"Therefore, The Unity Group cannot and will not be an active participant, nor endorse, the Chattanooga MLK Day March and parade on Monday January 18, 2016.
"We will exercise the true spirit and essence of Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights patriots of old by formally protesting this March by our steadfastness and absence.
"We cannot be silent and satisfied in what is occurring in our city today and won't rest until freedom has rung even on top of Lookout Mountain, and to the valley people below, just like King’s dream."
The city on Saturday, after it was announced there would be no MLK Parade this Monday for the first time in 46 years, announced that the parade was back on - in Brainerd instead of downtown.
The mayor's office said Saturday, "The MLK Birthday Parade & March will continue as scheduled on Monday at 3 p.m.
"The city of Chattanooga has ensured the parade route will remain as planned, with lineup at 1:45 p.m. between Waffle House and Ridgeview Baptist Church (6 North Moore Road).
"The parade will begin at 3 p.m. at the intersection of North Moore Road and Brainerd Road. The parade and march will proceed on North Moore Road to Brainerd High School.
"The Unity Group submitted an application for the parade on Nov. 20. Their request was for the ML King Parade and March to go down North Moore Road and end at Brainerd High School because the Unity Group's main event is planned at Brainerd High School at 5 p.m.
"The city was made aware late Friday night that the Unity Group had cancelled their annual march. As the MLK March is an important event for so many in Chattanooga, we quickly went to work to ensure the parade could continue, offering to secure barricades and any additional items needed. We reassured the Unity Group that the march could go on as they planned and we asked them to host it. Unfortunately, the Unity Group declined. The city and various local groups are moving forward with the event, as scheduled and on the route planned by the Unity Group, to ensure community members would have the opportunity to participate in this longtime ML King Day tradition."