Murrysville Black Lives Matter protest set for Sunday

Aryanna Hunter of Murrysville wasn’t able to attend Pittsburgh protests against police brutality over the past week.

An Army veteran, Hunter works as head of the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Veteran Services, and wanted to rally support in her hometown as well.

She’ll get to do it this weekend with a planned protest along Old William Penn Highway.

“I live here in Murrysville, this is my community,” said Hunter, the youngest of 10 children in a racially mixed family. “If we’re going to change anything, we also have to show our neighbors that black lives matter. And I shouldn’t have to drive to Pittsburgh to do that. I should be able to support that cause in my hometown.”

Hunter is organizing a protest Sunday at noon, at the corner of Old William Penn Highway and Tarr Hollow Road. It’s an apt location, since up until recently it was colloquially known around town as “the sign corner,” where community groups would post event signs and other messages.

Hunter said she was encouraged by peaceful protests nearby over the past week in Jeannette, Irwin and Monroeville.

“To just see the number of folks turning out all across rural Pennsylvania is amazing,” she said. “It’s great to see it here in Westmoreland County.”

Hunter said she has spoken about the event with both state police and Murrysville police, who issued a community alert about the protest through the Nixle platform.

The plan, she said, is to gather at Old William Penn and Tarr Hollow. And if enough people show up, they’ll march down Old William Penn past the Giant Eagle.

Police messaging for motorists advised avoiding both Old William Penn Highway between Andrews Lane and Cline Hollow Road, and Route 22 between Tarr Hollow and Cline Hollow roads, between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Hunter, however, said there are no plans to march along Route 22.

“My hope is that it brings awareness to my neighbors that there are folks here who believe in Black Lives Matter,” she said.