Peaceful protest slated for Saturday in downtown Washington
A peaceful protest against racial injustice is planned in the city of Washington on Saturday, the second week in a row an event will be held in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis 10 days ago.
“Anyone who feels empathy for the people of color in this country should think about coming out to support us. Anybody who supports this cause should come,” said Kurt Adkins, a student at Seton Hill University and Washington High School graduate who is one of the event’s organizers. “You can write as many posts as you want to on social media, but the only way to change is to go out there and have your voice heard. The only way to change somebody’s mind is to talk with that person.”
On Thursday, Gov. Tom Wolf commended the many peaceful protests that have taken place throughout the state since Floyd was killed while in the custody of Minneapolis police when an officer knelt on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. He also announced several actions to improve law enforcement relations with the community and strengthen training and accountability.
“Protesting will always be a central part of democracy,” Wolf said, noting protesters across the state and country have called attention to the systematic injustices black and brown communities have endured.
The protest in Washington will start at 11 a.m. in front of the Washington County Courthouse. At around noon, the group plans to march a few blocks around the city.
Washington police Chief Robert Wilson said his department will be blocking off streets for the march at 9:30 a.m. with no parking allowed in the area. The march will be on East and West Chestnut Street, North and South Franklin Street, East and West Wheeling Street, and North and South College Street. Main Street will also be closed off, he said, as the protest will be at the county courthouse.
Wilson said the streets should be reopened sometime in the afternoon.
Adkins asked people who attend to wear face masks.
In a Facebook post encouraging the black community and its allies to attend, Adkins, 21, a standout running back at Wash High and an exercise science major, wrote, “Like many of you, I long for a world where my people and I can step outside and feel the same safety and comfort as the man/woman to our left and right. When the day comes that the color of my skin creates no misconceptions on the value of my life, the U.S. will truly be able to be called ‘The Land of the Free’ again.”
Adkins attended last week’s protest in Pittsburgh that turned violent, and he said organizers want to make sure the protest remains peaceful and doesn’t cause any disruptions.
“I was able to attend the protest in Pittsburgh, but when the car was lit on fire, I decided to leave. That was the tipping point for me,” he said. “The protest we are planning is 100% peaceful. We are trying to make a change, and we don’t want any type of destruction.”
Adkins said he and co-organizer and fellow Wash High graduate Meg McGill are encouraging younger adults to become involved – and to vote in the upcoming election, noting turnout among young voters tends to be the lowest of any age group.
Wilson said a second group had reached out to him about also holding a peaceful protest against racial injustice Saturday, so both protests will be combined into one. The second group was organized by three Chartiers-Houston graduates – Sean McKim, and Matthew DeRosa, both of Houston, and Garrett Garlets of Cecil Township.
“With this movement in Washington, we want everything to be as peaceful as possible,” Garlets said. “That’s why we’ve been in close contact with the authorities.”
McKim said he’s been working with both Washington police and the county sheriff’s office while organizing the protest.
“I don’t want this movement tarnished in any way, shape or form,” McKim said. “Our message is to end racism in this country completely, end police brutality, and we also want our community to have a voice in this and a better future for our youth.”
After emerging from an hour-long meeting Thursday afternoon with Washington County officials, Commission Chairman Diana Irey Vaughan said they discussed “what we hope to be a very peaceful protest on Saturday. Washington County is doing its part. We want to make sure resources are here, just to be prepared. The Public Safety Department notifies us when something is expected in the county that is unusual. Intergovernmental cooperation has been tremendous on all levels, with the city and the county and our townships.
“We are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.”
Sheriff Samuel Romano said his department’s role would be assisting the city and “making sure nothing happens to our buildings.
“We’ll have fair amount of people out.”
McKim, now in his 20s, said he experienced racism in high school and throughout his entire life.
“Nothing has changed,” he said. “It seems to get worse and worse, especially around here. It makes me sick to think about.”
DeRosa called the death of George Floyd “inhumane.”
“There needs to be justice for him,” he said. “I’m glad they’re making moves in that direction.”
Wolf, meanwhile, outlined several actions aimed at meaningful reforms, many based on the 21st Century Policing Task Force created in 2015 under President Barack Obama.
Highlights include creating a Deputy Inspector General within the Office of State Inspector General, tasked with deterring, detecting, preventing and eradicating fraud, waste, misconduct and abuse among law enforcement agencies; creating a State Law Enforcement Advisory Commission that reviews allegations of misconduct by law enforcement personnel; creating a racial and ethnic disparities subcommittee under the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee; and enhancing mental health initiatives and offering mental health support for officers to deal with trauma and reduce stigma for getting help.
Staff writer Barbara Miller contributed to this story.