DES MOINES, Iowa — Protesters from Each Pair Iowa welcomed Vice President Mike Pence at the Hy-Vee headquarters on Friday with a shoe demonstration that showed how many Iowans have died from the coronavirus.
But we have learned the shoes were the subject of a theft.
Over 200 pairs of shoes representing Iowans that have died from COVID-19 were placed on the sidewalk near Hy-Vee headquarters on Friday.
But those shoes were stolen.
The organizers that put this together said this is just the beginning of the protests.
The memorial of shoes went as far as a block and half.
"We remember those people that have lost their lives," said.
After the protest, the shoes were boxed up and taken to Each Pair organizer Heaven Chamberlain's back porch, where she thought they would stay safe overnight.
"And all this handwork was just gone,"
$750 worth of shoe's meant for memorials stolen.
Organizers think whoever did it knew what they were for.
"They filled up a mini van! Someone didn't just pick them up and walk away. I don't want to make accusations, but that's what it looks like," Heaven said.
But Each Pair organizers are not letting the missing shoes stop them from making a statement.
"When you actually see how many pairs are there and you look at it and begin to think about it as that's my entire church. That's the entirety of my graduating class," Valerie said.
Valerie and Heaven said they are collecting more shoes for the next demonstration.
"Back to the mission. We will rise again and we will re-collect safely and we'll move forward."
Now, although we don't know the location of the next protest we know it's scheduled for this Thursday.