The Ithaca Pantheras was founded one year ago on Sunday September 27th, 2020 during the then weekly 2 PM Sunday rallies on The Commons at Bernie Milton pavilion.
Announced by its leader Rochelle Matthews, Ithaca Pantheras was born out of the desire to delineate the organization from Black Lives Matter and the Unbroken Promise Initiative.
Following the announcement, a march up restaurant row & across Fall Creek, the intersection of Cayuga & Tompkins Street were blocked by Pantheras members. The newly formed group then proceeded to the Ithaca Police Department headquarters on Clinton St. where the American flag in front of the police station was taken down, torn and set on fire. The flag’s remains were eventually hoisted back up the pole.
In a statement condemning the desecration, Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick said “The destruction of City property is unacceptable. This was an act clearly intended to provoke.” Second Ward Common Council member Ducson Nguyen was less disturbed by the flag’s destruction, tweeting “People killed by white supremacist policing are more important than property, so I’m not particularly worried about this minor city asset.” During the subsequent police investigation, then Pantheras member Genevieve Rand tweeted “IPD has been knocking on doors questioning protesters about the flag thing…call this off, IPD” Rand was present during the march and during the flag’s desecration.
In the following weeks Ithaca Pantheras members continued to block roads and agitate in front of Ithaca Police Department headquarters on Clinton St.
On October 16th, 2020 Ithaca Patheras members, alongside the Ithaca Democratic Socialists, attacked a pro-Trump rally at the GOP campaign office on Route 13. A visit to the site of the attack and press conference by Rep. Tom Reed was also besieged by Ithaca Pantheras members. Following that press conference, the arrest of Massia Saunders instigated what became a protracted protest outside of IPD headquarters. The events of October 22nd were later cited as the catalyst for the Ithaca Police Department’s new color coded response guidelines for protests.
Though the group’s website is no longer online, the organization remains active on Facebook, with the most recent post happening on the anniversary of the organization’s founding.