Justice for Floyd: Greencastle residents protest peacefully Sunday morning

Honks of support came from passing vehicles as a group gathered Sunday on the northwest corner of Greencastle's Center Square for a rally in support of Black Lives Matter.

The protestors, a changing group limited to 25 at any one time and wearing masks due to COVID-19, held signs with messages such as "All Lives Can't Matter Until Black Lives Matter," "White Silence Is White Compliance," "Silence Is Violence, Honk to Speak Out" and "Onward Christian Soldiers, #BLM, Thou Shall Not Kill."

June McIntosh of Mercersburg, who organized the rally with friend Laura Jeu of Greencastle, held a sign saying "All Mothers Were Summoned When George Called Out for His Momma."

The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 while being restrained by police and saying "I can't breathe" has sparked protests from coast to coast.

Some of the big city events have turned violent, but local rallies — including those last week in Waynesboro, West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle and Hagerstown — are peacefully showing support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

"Let's take a step for our community," said Olivia Owens of Greencastle, who participated in Sunday's event.

Owens, a friend and the friends' parents also held a small rally Saturday on Center Square and plan to do it again this coming Saturday.

"I work in Waynesboro. It was nice to see everyone (there) coming together and working peacefully," she said.

"The purpose of the rally is to honor the innocent black people who have been slain by police and to raise awareness of the systemic racism that still pervades the United States," according to Jeu and McIntosh, who stressed the support and cooperation of the Greencastle Police Department.

"We have been shocked and saddened by George Floyd’s murder, the most recent in what is, tragically, a long line of brutal slayings of unarmed black citizens by armed, dangerous and ill-trained police officers."

Every hour, the group knelt silently for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time the officer knelt on Floyd's neck.

C.J. Ezidinma of Hagerstown attended the rally with his fiancée, Cassie, who lives in Greencastle.

"I feel like we are fighting for justice and equality," said Ezidinma, a young black man. "People need to know what black people experience, sometimes on a daily basis. People need to know we're targeted and we shouldn't be. ... All lives matter, but right now, black lives are on fire."

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Ezidinma said he has been wrongfully arrested and pulled over and had his vehicle searched while driving home from work "simply because I look like a threat."

"I think a lot of people turned a blind eye. ... They're naive,” his fiancée said. "We've lost our humanity for certain people."

Jeu said the protest was planned after she "looked at recent events and decided it was time to take to local streets ... and invite conversation with anyone."

Sydney Robertson and friend Jacob Reid, both of Greencastle, were on the square Sunday.

"What's going on in the world is not a reflection of humanity," Robertson said. "We need to stick up for minorities in a peaceful way."

Reid wanted to show his support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

"We lucky not to experience it here — to my knowledge — but it's all over the country," he said. "Hopefully, by us standing here, others will be more vocal."

Shawn Hardy is a Gannett reporter based in Waynesboro.