Protesters rally in Cranberry
CRANBERRY TWP — In a crowd that grew in size and sound for nearly two hours, scores of protestors participated in a rally for racial justice at the Cranberry Commons strip mall Friday afternoon.
Starting at 3 p.m., a racially diverse group gathered in a circle in a mostly empty area of the parking lot outside Target as individuals spoke on the topic of racism in the United States, held up signs and joined in chants.
“People of color in this country are tired,” said Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi of the United Methodist Church. “They're tired of getting pulled over” due to racial profiling, she added as one example.
The protestors — about 200 people, according to township police — marched peaceably around the strip mall, covering ground from Target to Kohl's and Starbucks, then back again to Target, twice more stopping to listen to speeches.
While the group was racially diverse, it also appeared to vary in age, with teenagers to older adults participating.
“It's wonderful to see all these young people here; the energy, it's wonderful,” said Joanne Woodson, of Seven Fields. “We got a long way to go, guys.”
Some passersby were vocally supportive of the protest, and others honked their car horns or raised their fist in solidarity.
The protestors' reasons for partaking were somewhat varied, too, but mainly centered around the theme of supporting efforts for racial equality.“I just wanted to support this. I think it's very, very important,” said Tom McCarthy, of Cranberry Township. “I think it's time for some intense listening.”Black participants in the protest similarly thought the event was important, not just for the present day but for the future as well.Sherry Thomas, of Mars, said a big reason she chose to come with her daughter, Mika, 9, was to show her that a lot of people support racial justice and that the color of her skin should be a source of pride.“And I'm hoping it leaves a lasting impression for Mika,” Thomas said. “And I want her to be proud of her Blackness to all people.”Protests were sparked in major cities across the country in the weeks following the police-involved May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn. They've spread to smaller cities, like Butler on May 31, and in other locales, like Saxonburg on June 3 and Mars on Wednesday.
To some protestors, Floyd's death was the last straw in a series of what they saw as unjustifiable deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police in the nation.“We are here because George Floyd, Antwon Rose and Breonna Taylor can't be here and countless others can't be here,” Jermaine Allen, of Pittsburgh, said.Rose was fatally shot by police in East Pittsburgh in 2018, and Taylor was killed during the execution of a no-knock search warrant in Louisville in March.Despite rumors, circulating particularly on social media, in advance of the protest that there would be violence, or that protestors planned on blocking the interstate, the group remained in the strip mall parking lot and were peaceable. Similar allegations were spread ahead of the Mars prayer vigil and Saxonburg rally, and those protests similarly resulted in no violence.Cranberry police Chief Kevin Meyer said before the protest that while there was some “chatter” there may be violence, he didn't anticipate any trouble. Still, officers from Cranberry, along with state troopers and the county sheriff's office, were present, as were unmarked police vehicles.Megan Russell, of Mars, who organized the event, said the turnout at the protest far surpassed her expectations.“I honestly saw 20 people, and that's all that I could imagine,” she said. “This is way better than I ever could have expected.”
