Keep your head up, funny dude!

His friends describe him as smart, community-oriented, a spiritual man and funny dude.

Right now, they also describe Robert Totime as genuinely petrified to visit downtown Sault Ste. Marie.

Petrified.

Totime and his friend, fellow Algoma University student Travis Syrette, were arrested at gunpoint last Friday in the parking lot at Algoma University, victims of mistaken identify and, many believe, racial profiling.

The two men, innocent of any crime and armed only with strawberry-banana smoothies, feared for their lives at one point as cops barked orders at them while training a service revolver and a long gun at their heads.

Since details of the controversial takedown were first published by SooToday.com on Monday, a grassroots movement has been gaining momentum on Facebook, aimed at expressing prayers and support for the polite young man at the eye of what appears to be developing into a social-justice hurricane. CBC News was onto the story today.

The Sault Youth Association and Algoma University Student Union have expressed concern about the police handling of Friday's takedown.

And Elise Ahenkorah's We Support You, Robert! :) Facebook group, by 6:30 p.m., has passed 650 members.

A 2006 graduate of Algoma University's law and justice program, Ahenkorah has been nationally recognized for her efforts to help immigrants feel welcome in Canada.

Now working as a special projects coordinator for the Town of Oakville’s multicultural and newcomer settlement services department, she also serves on Halton Region's newcomer settlement strategy committee and volunteers as a youth representative with the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). During her time here in the Sault, Ahenkorah was active with both the Algoma Multicultural Centre and Algoma University's diversity advisory committee. She was selected to help the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration launch the Sault's web portal for newcomers and immigrants. In 2009, Ahenkorah's academic and community development successes were honoured during the ninth annual Ghanaian-Canadian Achievement Awards Night in Toronto.

"It is discouraging," she says, "to believe that youth that attempt to be leaders within their communities.... can be subject to such treatment," referring to Totime's case.

"Though police were given incorrect information from the mall security, it was at that exact moment that the police were entitled and expected to use their professional and highly developed sense of judgment, as well as their 'bias-free policing' policy, to clearly identify the description of Robert and to see if it was a plausible match to the suspect."

Ahenkorah hopes to send a clear, strong message to local authorities that occurrences like Totime's takedown are not acceptable to the youth of our city.

"Let’s do something to make sure things like this don’t ruin the good things that the Sault has to offer to new people in the community," she says.

"If you feel Robert was wronged and want to show him that your thoughts, prayers and love is with him, show it.

"Will there be any measures or comments to help the university or community feel safer for those who are affected by this? Because, let’s be real with one another, incidents of discrimination (age, gender, culture, race, ability, sexual orientation, and income), whether it be outside community members towards students or even students against other students, this is not he first time it has happened."

To visit the We Support You, Robert! :) Facebook group, please click here.

SooToday.com encourages our readers to express their opinion on the appropriateness of the takedown of Robert Totime and Travis Syrette, using the poll currently at the bottom of our home page.

Earlier SooToday.com coverage of this story

Algoma U students taken down at gunpoint. Why? Youth Association protests police takedown at Algoma U