Black Lives Matter Protest To Be Held Throughout The Area
By Kyle Cunningham
As the country mourns the loss of George Floyd , an African American man who was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis on May 25, many cities have held protests in sup- port of the Black Lives Matter movement. Some of the pro- tests have been peaceful while others have seen violence, vandalism and civil unrest such as those held in Minneapolis and even in St. Louis. However there have been many that have been completely peaceful, such as the one held in Edwardsville this past weekend.
“We had an officer present for Edwardsville’s protest which went very well,” Troy Police Chief Brad Parsons said. “It was a non-violent protest that lasted three to four hours.”
In response to other area protests, one is slated to take place at 4 p.m. this Saturday at the Troy Police Depart- ment. Event organizer, Sam Bozarth posted on the newly created “A Platform to Speak Against, Troy, Illinois” that Chief Parsons informed him that no squad cars would be in the parking lot, allowing plenty of room for a peaceful protest.
In addition there will be an- other protest held in Edwards- ville at the Madison County Courthouse at 10 a.m. Signs and masks are encouraged at the event and social distancing will be observed throughout it’s entirety.
A March For Black Lives protest will be held on June 6 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the corner of route 159 and Clay in Collinsville. Protesters will either march or stand along main street and clay street while adhering to social distancing guidelines. If there is a large turnout the protest may be held at the intersection of route 159 and Beltline Road.
Another peaceful protest will be held at Civic Park in Granite City on Saturday at 4 p.m.
