ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. —
Tensions boiled over in St. Augustine Saturday as protesters and counter-protesters clashed.
Protesters called for the resignation of Flagler College board member, Mark Bailey, who opposed the removal of the Confederate Memorial that formerly stood in the city’s square.
“It’s very concerning that a white man would have that to say about a Confederate statue being moved. It’s a symbol of hate,” said Claudia Liner, protester.
Counter-protesters demonstrated in support of Bailey.
St. Augustine police say the demonstrations were ultimately deemed an unlawful assembly following a fight between the two groups. The fight resulted in several people being placed in handcuffs.
Police tell Action News Jax two people were arrested and are facing charges.
Ron Rawls, pastor of St. Paul A.M.E. church in St. Augustine, organized the protest calling for Bailey’s resignation.
“[Rawls] is demanding the resignation of Mr. Bailey from the board of trustees,” said Luis Miguel, counter-protester. “We’re here in support of Mr. Bailey.”
“I don’t really care about his personal thoughts, but the fact that he sits on the board of Flagler College, and also on the board at Flagler Hospital, it disturbs me because those are institutions that blacks need to make sure that there’s no systemic injustice, and systemic racism involved in those institutions,” said Rawls.
St. Augustine’s City Commission voted to remove the Confederate memorial in June. The memorial was erected at Trout Creek Fish Camp in late September.
After the decision was made to move the memorial, Bailey sent a letter to the city calling for the memorial to be repurposed as a Civil War memorial, honoring both Union and Confederate soldiers.
In the letter, Bailey went on to say he would give the city money to improve sewage infrastructure in West Augustine as part of a compromise.
Bailey tells Action News Jax he had heard the anticipated cost of removing the memorial was more expensive than initially anticipated by the city.
“We had heard that the cost to move it was going to increase to 300-plus thousand dollars,” said Bailey. “Right at the same time, the Governor cut the $450,000 out of the city’s budget, which has been utilized every year to help improve the infrastructure in West Augustine, the utilities. There’s a big need to do that. Regardless of what happens here today, or what happens, with the monument, that’s something that I’m going to continue to focus on.”
In turn, he says his proposed donation to benefit West Augustine would have matched the amount of additional money needed by the city to move the memorial.
“We wanted the city to think about repurposing the monument completely, if that was necessary. Have a committee come together and work on a compromise because there are a lot of families who are descendants of the those on the memorial who still live here, there are people who did not want it removed completely,” said Bailey. “So, I felt like you could come together, again, and talk about a resolution, and repurpose it, and not spend four to five hundred thousand dollars and use those funds for a need that was imminent, and one that has been delayed for many years.”
Rawls explained why he organized Saturday’s protest.
“If Bailey had sincerely cared about the plight of West Augustine, he would make his offer separate from keeping his Confederate monuments in our publicly funded town plaza,” said Rawls. “That is the place of measuring his true intentions and motivations.”
He described Bailey’s proposed contribution to West Augustine as a ‘bribe.’
“The more disturbing issue is not that Mr. Bailey feels that he can throw money at the residents of West Augustine and get them to dance. But the reality that he sits on the board of an important institution in our community, like Flagler College, Flagler Hospital,” said Rawls.
Bailey tells Action News Jax he does not intend to resign. In response, Rawls says he’ll likely plan another protest.
Action News Jax has reached out to Flagler College for comment on Saturday’s demonstration, and calls for Bailey to resign. We’ll be sure to update you with Flagler’s response.
#BREAKING: Unlawful assembly declared in St. Augustine following what appeared to be altercation, several people arrested. @SJSOPIO and @STAUGPD on scene. @ActionNewsJax @WOKVNews pic.twitter.com/7mzlT7SxAy
— Ryan Nelson (@RyanANJax) October 3, 2020
#UPDATE: @STAUGPD tells me two people arrested, facing charges. One charged with battery, the other charged with public affray. @ActionNewsJax https://t.co/hSbsVHiDVh
— Ryan Nelson (@RyanANJax) October 3, 2020
#New: Crowds on both sides have grown in St. Augustine.
— Ryan Nelson (@RyanANJax) October 3, 2020
One side calling for resignation of Flagler College board member, Mark Bailey, who opposed removal of downtown Confederate memorial, favored repurposing it.
Other side demonstrating in support of Bailey. @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/oo6C0jpyxS
Cox Media Group