A rally is planned Saturday in Jeannette in response to the death of George Floyd while in Minnesota police custody.
Participants of BLM, Standing in Solidarity Rally will meet at 2 p.m. in a parking lot on Magee Avenue, according to organizer Ron Dinsmore.
“We feel bad what happened to George Floyd,” Dinsmore said. “Jeannette blacks and whites have always gotten along well.”
Mayor Curtis Antoniak said extra police and firefighters will be on hand as a precaution.
“The citizens of our town will be safe,” he said. “We will not tolerate anybody getting out of control.”
The event is described as a peaceful rally during which participants should bring a mask and remember to socially distance themselves from others. Dinsmore said he doesn’t expect the event to get out of hand.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less from our citizens,” said Police Chief Shannon Binda. “We are a close-knit community, and I do believe that it will be peaceful.”
Protests against racial injustice swept the nation following the death of Floyd, a black man killed May 25 when a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes as he was handcuffed and laying face down on the street during an arrest. Four officers have been arrested in his death, which was ruled a homicide.
