Earlier this afternoon, we arrived at the corner of Prince and Chestnut Streets in Lancaster to observe the demonstration protesting the police actions in Minneapolis and other places. When we found a spot there were around 50 persons arrayed on each corner of the intersection. Many of them carried messages on signs. We stayed until around 3:30; talked with some people and snapped several photos. Lancaster Online has this report.

At some point, some of the demonstrators found traffic cones and sawhorses and barriers in the little park next to the police station and blocked Chestnut Street to vehicular traffic. That’s when 14 or so Lancaster police showed up. They arrived in vehicles and blocked Prince Street while they circles into a perimeter in the intersection. It appeared the police spoke with several folks and they removed the obstacles and reopened Chestnut Street. After they left, it didn’t take a long time for several  demonstrators to recover the barriers block the street again.

More law enforcement agencies responded and staged their vehicles on North Prince Street.

Today’s demonstration was organized by Lancaster Stands Up and had a theme: Enough is Enough: Drive for Justice for George Floyd — “On Sunday at 2:00pm we will gather in Lancaster City for a honk and drive protest to demand justice. We are demanding justice for George Floyd and for all black people who have suffered and died under racist policing in this country.”

And the demonstration worked, by 2:30 or so the walking demonstration crowd size had swelled to several hundred people and the drivers and honkers stretched for blocks and blocks.

 

Our favorite sign. Because that’s where it begins.

We think this is one point in the demonstration when there was a scuffle with police and a demonstrator and pepper spray was released that created a brief dispersion.

 

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These demonstrators are not “radical leftists” as POTUS is wont to blame; the demonstrators today were largely white and younger. These are just everyday people — the demographics that have to begin to be politically active … to VOTE OUT the elected servants who have to accept blame for the transgressions being identified.