Protestors in our area took to the streets of Lancaster on Black Friday in support of Michael Brown, the unarmed teen killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. The date wasn’t random, they picked Black Friday in support of Brown for a reason. Across the nation, those in support of Michael Brown have chosen to boycott Black Friday and honor the teen. Close to 100 people marched from Penn Square to the police station at 9 a.m. The protest lasted a few hours.
“We don’t think that the justice system right now is a very just way of working,” says Daniele Spagnolo, a protestor.
“1965 was 50 years ago and it’s unbelievable to me that the police are still gunning black people down in the street so I feel like it’s my civic duty to be out here and say something,” says Ben Weiss, a protestor.
Despite the violence in Ferguson, Friday's protest in Lancaster was peaceful. Those protesting know their efforts won't change the justice system. But they hope at least it sparks a conversation about racism in our society.
"We need to keep speaking about the problems that are arising so we can fix them. If we don't talk about the problem, there will never be any kind of discussion to help us fix the problem," says Gilda Pena, a protestor.
