Protesting at Jamestown

Voices of a history unfit to celebrate"Oppose Queen Elizabeth's visit and say NO to celebrating imperialism. Genocide and slavery are not causes for celebration," the leaflet read.

On the back, under the headline, "God Can't Save the Queen!," was a list of grievances related to the queen and the Jamestown anniversary. They include the killing of millions of indigenous people, the importation of the first African slaves to North America and the birth of North American homophobia, in the form of the execution for sodomy of Richard Cornish at Jamestown in 1624.

That some chose to protest "was a reminder to think critically about the larger 400th anniversary of Jamestown, and all the ways that it will be commemorated in the coming year," said Adria Scharf, executive director of the Richmond Peace Education Center. Scharf wasn't at the protest, which was not organized or co-sponsored by the center.