In Peaceful Protest Of CPS, Groups Ask Supporters To Leave Teddy Bears At Sheriff's Office

BRADENTON, FL — Two national groups have organized a peaceful protest of the child protective system by asking supporters to leave teddy bears with blue ribbons around their necks at strategic locations in several U.S. cities.

Working with Right to Be Right on this initiative, Operation Stop CPS said its “goal is to educate society on the child protection system (and) to unmask the systematic oppression that has continued to wreak havoc on the lives of families.”

Their protest targets six cities — including two in Florida, Bradenton and New Port Richey — where the groups are actively supporting families that are fighting to get their children back from child protective services in their areas.

There are thousands of American parents whose children have “unjustly” been taken from them, Amanda Wallace, Operation Stop CPS co-founder, said.

Many of the organization’s supporters are scared to speak out “because CPS is so powerful,” she added. “We tried to get creative in the protest. We tried to give people some safety by asking them to put teddy bears out there and not having their physical face out there. We just want to let the system know these people are no longer going to stand for this injustice.”

Related Story: 'American Idol' Finalist Syesha Mercado Reunited With Newborn

In Bradenton, Operation CPS has asked supporters to leave teddy bears outside the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office’s civil support unit at 600 U.S. 301 Blvd. West, Suite 202.

The sheriff’s office removed the handful of teddy bears that were left there over the weekend, Wallace said. “They came outside and took our teddy bears, the same as they're doing with our children.”

She asks people to continue leaving teddy bears outside MCSO. It’s “a simple,” protest, she added. “I went to Walmart. I got my teddy bears. I got my ribbon. I dropped them off. I was able to get it done in an hour or two.”

The Bradenton protest is inspired by Syesha Mercado, the “American Idol” finalist whose two children were taken by child welfare officials in Manatee County, Wallace said.

The singer’s newborn daughter, Ast, was taken from her and her partner, Tyron Deener, in August when sheriff’s deputies stopped them while driving for a welfare check. They insisted on taking the baby to a hospital for a checkup. After much public outcry, their daughter was returned to them more than a week later.

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The couple's 18-month-old son, Amen'Ra, was previously taken into custody by the Florida Department of Children and Families and put into foster care in March amid allegations that he was malnourished. They're still fighting for his return.

The toddler was taken from his parents after they brought him to All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg to receive fluids. Amen'Ra was breastfed, but Mercado's milk supply decreased because she was pregnant at the time, she wrote in a Change.org petition calling for officials to reunite the parents with their toddler. He refused to drink from a bottle or sippy cup, so the parents brought him to the hospital Feb. 25 for additional fluids.

“They still are without their child today. It's ridiculous,” Wallace said. “They gave the one child back. None of it makes sense. It’s like this power struggle, pretty much, between parents and CPS.”

Operation Stop CPS has been actively working with five families, including Mercado and Deener, whose children have been taken from them. The group plans to join them at court dates related to their custody battles.

The organization wants to show authorities “that we will respond in power,” Wallace said. “We want to raise awareness, that’s the thing. Our demands are clear. We need transparency in the courthouse it. It needs to be public. Parents need to be heard. The federal government needs to launch an investigation into CPS and ultimately, bring our babies homes.”

Patch reached out to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office for comment.